On Our Own
by aravis riddle
Summary: Sequel of The Man Hater. Denise has returned to her world and was determined to move on, knowing that the world she left behind has forgotten about her...just how she wanted it. But Aslan, as always, had other plans.
1. Prologue

Author's notes: it's been so long. But I am officially active in the world of fanfiction again! As promised, here is the sequel to my story, The Man hater. people have threatened/begged me to post this as soon as possible, but I've been really busy these past months. This prologue has been in my folder since June, and it took me months to finish it because of school/choir/ other thingamabobs. I'm so excited about this story. hahaha. To the people who have read my previous work, you shall wait no more! and to those who are not familiar with The Man hater, i suggest you read it first before starting on this one. But what the heck, it's up to you.

* * *

Prologue

Edmund stared at the ring in his hand, his eyes glued to the name engraved on it. _Denise_… it sounded oddly familiar. There was a curious sensation in his heart when he read that name. It didn't make sense at all. He knew that he bought the ring. He remembered having it made a few days back. The real question was: why did he have it made? Obviously, he wanted to give it to someone, and her name was impressed upon the band. But who is Denise Pevensie? Who was she in his life? Why can't he remember anything about her? He tried to look back on the past days and to his confusion, his memories all seemed so vague. It was like trying to remembering a dream. Some parts were certain and clear to him, but he felt that a huge part was missing. The more he tried to remember it, the farther it slipped from his mind. It was like he was confounded or something. He felt like he knew this Denise person, but why can't he remember anything? He pondered all these things, getting more and more frustrated by the minute.

He decided to bring the ring along to breakfast and see what his siblings would make of it.

When Edmund entered the dining hall, his siblings were talking amongst themselves.

"…I don't understand why, but I can't help but feel there is something that isn't right here." Susan was saying.

"I feel the same way, Su. It's like…there's something missing. I just can't quite point out what it is." Lucy said in agreement. Edmund sat in his usual place and they greeted him while the food was brought in.

"I feel like there is something odd going on." Lucy stated.

"Have we ever met a person named 'Denise' before?" Edmund asked them. They all stared at him for a long while.

"We might have." Peter answered. He did not remember any particular person at the mention of the name, but he felt that it was familiar to him. "I mean, we meet a lot of people everyday, Ed. Maybe we've met one before in a meeting with the foreign lands."

"You know, I think I do know someone by that name. It sounds very familiar to me." Lucy mused. "Probably someone we met in passing?" Susan ventured. She too felt like she has met someone of that name.

"It can't have been simply in passing. We can't have simply met her once and never again, because I seem to be interested in marrying her." Edmund said.

"What do you mean?" Susan asked him. As an answer, he took out the ring and showed it to them. "I found that under my bed today."

"I don't understand. You were planning to propose to someone without telling us?" Peter managed.

"I'm as clueless as you are, Pete. I remember purchasing that ring from the village a few days ago, but I cannot remember why."

"Who is this Denise person anyway?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. I think… I think I know her, but I just can't remember anything. I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out who she is, but I still cannot remember a thing. It's getting frustrating." He replied. They were all quiet as they were lost in deep thought.

"I think it's time we learn who this person is." Peter said after a while.

"How do we do that?" Susan asked. No one had an answer.

"I feel like she's the one who is missing here. I think that this Denise, whoever she is, is the answer to all our questions." Lucy said.

"I want…" Edmund began. Then he changed his mind. "I need to know who she is and who she was in my life. I feel like she's important."

The Pevensies all went their own ways after the meal to attend to their different duties. Edmund, however, stayed in his room thinking. He stared at the ring in hand and thought hard. He felt frustration creep upon him again when he was still unable to come up with anything. He heaved a sigh and muttered, _"Who are you?" _unaware that he would have an answer to this very question before the night was over.

Night came and Edmund sank wearily onto his bed. He placed the ring on his bedside table and went to sleep. In his dreams, everything came back to him. The memories of the past three years came back, flooding his mind with various thoughts. When his dream reached the part where Denise was bidding him goodbye, he twisted and turned in his bed and when she disappeared with the waves, Edmund woke up, panting heavily and soaked in sweat. He sat bolt upright and dashed out of his room. He bumped against Lucy, who seemed to have been crying and was running herself.

"Lu?" Edmund was bewildered when his sister hugged him and sobbed harder. "Ed, I remember her now." She said. Then he knew. She had the dream too. He hugged her back. Moments later, Peter and Susan came out of their respective rooms within minutes of each other. Susan was in tears when she approached them, and Peter seemed shaken, but no matter how miserable they were, they knew that what they felt was nothing compared to what Edmund was feeling at that moment. None of them could return to sleep so they decided to keep each other company. They went to the room Denise had once occupied. Edmund felt his chest tighten involuntarily. Lucy held his hand comfortingly and he smiled gratefully at her. The Kings and Queens looked around the room with heavy hearts. The bed, which was once slept on by Denise, was empty and would probably never be used again by the person it once belonged to.

"_You stupid, stupid girl."_ Edmund muttered angrily. No one had been talking for a while, and his siblings were slightly shocked when Edmund broke the silence.

"Ed." Susan reprimanded her brother.

"Why did she do that? What stupid idea crossed her mind and made her think that this was the best way to solve her problem?" he huffed.

"She had her reasons, Ed." Lucy said softly.

"Yeah? What reasons are those? I'd like to know. What was she thinking?" he shot back angrily.

"She was probably thinking of you." Lucy answered.

"Thinking of me?" Edmund scoffed. "If that's the case then she wouldn't have left without telling me, and she wouldn't have asked Aslan to make me forget about her."

Peter had been quiet all the time his sisters were trying to pacify Edmund. He had been thinking, trying to understand the plan of his military adviser. At this point, he said,

"I think it's a perfect plan." Edmund turned to him, surprised.

"Don't you see it, Ed? She asked Aslan to make us forget because she wanted to spare us, most especially you, from the emotional turmoil we would have gone through if we learned of her departure. You know how Denise is. She always makes sure that the damage is kept at a minimum. That's how she plans." He explained.

"What is she, a martyr?" Edmund shot.

"No. She's not a martyr. She simply knows the importance of damage control, Ed." Peter told him. "This plan of hers? It's damage control. She probably thought that if we forgot about her, our lives would return to what it once was. If we never knew her, then there would be no reason for us to mourn for her."

Edmund saw the purpose behind Denise's decision, but he refused to accept it. He knew at the back of his mind that she probably did it for him, but he was too caught up in his misery to admit it. He shook his head furiously and walked out of the room. His siblings decided to let him be and give him time alone.

Day came. Edmund was not at breakfast. A meeting with the council was scheduled that afternoon. Peter was just preparing to meet the council alone when his brother showed up, well-groomed and ready for the assembly. His face was unfathomable. "Edmund, if you're not feeling-" Peter began.

"I'm fine, Pete." Edmund said stiffly. After the meeting, Edmund left the hall hurriedly.

Peter saw him ride into the woods.

"I'm worried about him, Peter." Susan said. Peter continued to watch his younger brother until he disappeared into the thickness of the foliage. "Give him time to sort it all out, Su. I can only imagine the pain he is in at this point, but I know my brother. He's strong enough to get through this." He told her.

"If only Denise didn't have to leave…" Susan sighed.

"I'm sure she didn't have any other choice but to do this. I know she wouldn't have done this if there was any other way around it."

"How terribly hard this must have been for her." Susan remarked. "I saw just how much she cared for Edmund and for all of us…leaving must have been too difficult. It would have broken my heart."

"That's probably why she chose to make us forget. She knew how hard it was, and she didn't want us going through it too."

"But I don't understand, Pete. If Aslan promised her to make us forget, then why were we able to remember her?" Susan asked.

"I don't know, Susan." Peter replied. "I don't understand it either."

Edmund was sitting under an elm tree at the foot of the river. Two years ago, he sat on this very same spot with Denise. The memory was painful to him. He furiously wiped the tears that escaped from his eyes.

"There is nothing wrong with crying, King Edmund." Edmund whipped around and found the great tawny Lion. He did not know how to react, and so he did not say anything. "I know you are not happy with the turn of events. You might not understand it now, but someday you will see the greater plan I have laid out."

"Why?" Edmund asked. He did not understand why Denise had to return to her world. He did not understand why she wasn't there with him…he didn't understand anything. "I cannot answer your questions, Edmund. But in time, it will come to you." Aslan began.

"You want to know how she is, I suppose?" the lion asked him. Edmund looked up and waited expectantly. "I think it will be better if you see for yourself how Denise is doing."

"What do you mean?" Edmund asked. "Edmund, I will give you the chance to see Denise again." Aslan said solemnly.

* * *

Let me know what you think. Reviews!


	2. Chapter 1: Phantom

Author's notes: Chapter one folks! Narnia will come into the picture by the third or fourth chapter. this chapter's a little on the drama side. hahaha. ;)

* * *

Chapter One: Phantom

_"I shall send you to her world, to her time. I will give you one day to see her again, but she will not see you. No one will see you. Do you understand?" _Aslan said. Edmund nodded, although he did not really get it. All he knew was that he would see Denise again.

And so Edmund went back to the castle where he eagerly waited for night to fall, because Aslan said his journey would begin that night. What happened that night is beyond the understanding of a mortal soul, and the wondrous magic that took place there is impossible to describe.

Edmund was transported to Denise's house. Astonished, Edmund looked around. The house would look like a pretty normal sight for you, reader, but to Edmund, it was strange. He walked around and explored the whole house until a noise brought his attention to the living room. A grown woman with flowing brown hair was descending the stairs. She looked like Denise. Edmund's heart raced. He knew that the time in Narnia and this world was complicated. Could it be that a few days in Narnia was equivalent to many years in this world? Could this woman be Denise, all grown-up? He followed the woman into the kitchen and watched her prepare breakfast. Edmund could not believe his eyes. Another noise from the living room caught his attention again.

Descending from the stairs was a girl in her teenage years with flowing brown hair. She was wearing a simple shirt and had a bag on her back. She seemed to be in a rather pensive mood and her face was an indecipherable mask. But that mask quickly turned into a wide grin when the grown woman came into the living room and said,

"Happy birthday, Denise!"

This was Denise Stoker. It had been only two weeks since the day she got back to her world. She was celebrating her eighteenth birthday on that Monday morning. Edmund stood frozen in one corner, his emotions too mixed up, too intense that he was left stunned. "Thanks, mom." Denise replied and hugged her mother tightly. _Her mother_, Edmund thought. _That's her mother. That explains why she looks so much like Denise_. Edmund tried to reach out and touch Denise's arms, but his hand just went right through her. Then he remembered what Aslan said. It was horrible, seeing her yet not being able to hold her; and she didn't even know he was there. Denise and her mother went to the kitchen and ate breakfast. After a while, Denise got up and said, " I gotta go to school now." Her mother nodded and said, "I'll wait for Chris. He hasn't arrived yet. You can take the car, if you want."

"Nah. I'll walk. It isn't that far anyway." She replied.

"Come home early, okay? Your dad's coming over."

"I will." And with that, Denise went out the door and started walking towards school. Edmund followed her, feeling hopeless because she couldn't see him.

"Happy birthday, Denise." Edmund said to her. Naturally, Denise did not hear a thing. He tried calling her attention over and over again, but still nothing happened. After a few minutes, they reached her school. A group of people, whom Edmund assumed to be her friends, approached Denise and greeted her a happy birthday. She smiled and thanked them profusely, but her smile hardly reached her eyes. Edmund remembered a time when her eyes seemed to twinkle when she smiled… a time when she was still in Narnia with him. Edmund followed her all day around her school. He noticed that she always sat at the back and hardly paid attention to her teachers. She would appear to be listening at first, but then her eyes would get that far-off look in them and he knew that her mind was somewhere else. As she was about to go to her next class, a guy approached her. He was tall and muscular.

"Hi, Denise." He said with a smile. Denise looked up at him and returned the smile.

"Hey, Johnny."

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks." She said.

"So, uh, I was wondering… would you mind having dinner with me tonight? My treat." The guy said. Edmund looked at Denise, waiting for her answer. The guy looked nice and seemed decent to him.

"Go on, Denise. Say yes to him." Edmund said. It pained him, yes, but he knew it was better if she moved on and had someone else who would take care of her because he couldn't… not anymore. Denise looked steadily at the guy for a while, probably thinking. Then she said, "Sorry, Johnny, but I have something tonight. My dad and my mom's boyfriend are coming over, and we're gonna be celebrating."

"Oh. Well, how about tomorrow night? Or any other night, it doesn't really matter to me." Johnny answered.

"Go on, give him a shot." Edmund urged Denise. Denise smiled and said, "My schedule's rather full this week, but I'll check if I have free time and I'll tell you." Johnny nodded.

"See you around, then." She told him, and with that, she walked away.

Edmund knew exactly what she meant: she wasn't interested in having dinner with the guy.

Edmund followed her until they reached a classroom. Denise knocked and said, "Mr. Cortez?"

"Come in, Denise." A middle aged man said from inside the room. "I was intending to talk to you." Denise entered. "Denise, I noticed that you have not been actively participating in history class these past few days." The man said. Edmund learned that he was Denise's history teacher.

"Also, you got a C on our last test. Not that a C is a bad score, but it's quite low considering that you are one of my best students. This is quite far from your usual grade."

"Sorry, sir." Denise mumbled.

"That's alright, but I expect better next time. Now, about the contest which you are a participant in-" Denise cut him off at this point.

"That's why I'm here, sir." She began. "I wish to withdraw from it."

"What? Why?" The teacher asked.

"I don't feel that I'm up to it, sir. I might only disappoint you." Denise said.

"But you are my best student, Ms. Stoker. And you have never disappointed me." He told her. She shook her head. "I don't think I'm the right one for this quiz bee, sir." She then mentioned a name of another student and suggested they make him the contestant instead. In the end, the teacher conceded and with another apology, Denise left and ate lunch.

At the cafeteria, Denise was bombarded with questions by her friends.

"Did you really say 'no' to Johnny?" Denise nodded as she bit into her sandwich.

"Are you out of your mind, Denise?" one blurted out. Denise replied casually, "Last time I checked? No. I'm perfectly sane, thank you."

"Do you have any idea how many girls in this school are dying to date him?"

"About half the school's total girl population, if I'm not mistaken." She said coolly.

"- And you turned him down, just like that?"

" I wasn't interested." Their conversation went on in that manner for awhile. Then they told Denise that they would be celebrating her birthday that night, and that she should be there.

"The whole group is gonna be there, and we've invited others to come as well. It's gonna be a blast. Don't you dare miss it, Denise." A guy warned.

"Sorry guys, but I have something tonight. I can't come with you." A collective scowl sounded across their table.

"I'm really sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you some other time." She said apologetically.

After a few more hours at school, Denise finally headed home. Edmund still kept close to her, the phantom that he was. She walked home alone, except for Edmund. She was letting go of herself, Edmund thought unhappily. She was letting life pass her by. She was denying herself the simple things that could make her happy. Either she was trying to punish herself or she simply didn't care anymore. And it killed him. It killed Edmund seeing her like that, so different from the Denise he met and loved. It's like she had given up and was simply letting the current of life take her wherever it was headed. And what pained him even more was that Denise was still trying to keep it all to herself.

They reached her home. Upon entering, they found Denise's mom, whom Edmund had met earlier, and two men. They all greeted her with happy faces. As the night advanced, Edmund learned that the taller man was Denise's father and the other was her mom's boyfriend. It seemed odd to Edmund, but everyone seemed to be getting along. There were no awkward feelings between Denise's parents. Also, the two men seemed to be well acquainted with each other. When Edmund looked at Denise, she seemed genuinely happy in the company of these people. He saw her eyes twinkle again that night.

"I've got something for you, Izzy." Denise's father called her. Together, father and daughter left the kitchen and sat on the couch in the living room. Denise's father took out a medium sized parcel and said, "It's not much, but I thought you'd like it. I've kept it for years, and I want you to have it." Denise took the parcel with a bewildered look on her face. She opened it and Edmund leaned in for a closer look. It was a photo album containing pictures of Denise's young years. It showed her as a tiny baby in her father's arms, a toddler sitting on his back; it even had a picture of her father reading her a story book. It had pictures of her first bike ride, her first swimming experience…basically everything that she went through as a kid. And in every picture her dad was there with her, with a big smile plastered on his face. In the last page of the album, there was a picture of a 2 year-old Denise sleeping on her father's chest while he sat on a rocking chair, also asleep.

"That's the only thing I took with me when I left this house. Every night since that day, I looked at those pictures. My only regret is that I don't have pictures with you as you grew up. I wasn't around to watch you mature to the person you are now." He told her. Denise looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She hugged him tight and said, "Thanks, Dad. This means a lot to me. This is just wonderful."

"I'm sorry, Izzy. I'm sorry because I wasn't around as you grew up. I should have been with you on your first day of school… I should have been there on your first graduation day; I should have been with you all those years."

"It doesn't matter, dad. I was the one who kept pushing you away, anyway. What's important is that you're with me now. And there is plenty of time left for us to catch up with each other." Denise said. Her father smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Izzy."

"I love you too, Dad." She smiled contentedly.

Edmund was glad that at least one thing went right. He then understood the reason why Aslan sent Denise back. He was happy for her; she finally found the missing part of her being. The night deepened, and Denise excused herself, saying she had to get some sleep because she had school the next day.

"Okay, dear. I bet you're tired." Her mom said. She greeted her again and hugged her tight. "Sweet dreams, honey." Then Denise bid goodnight to her dad and to Chris, her mom's boyfriend. "Goodnight, dad. I'll keep in touch." She said as she climbed up to her room. Edmund followed her. She entered her room and placed the album on top of her table, smiling to herself.

Edmund surveyed her room and found a huge, antique wardrobe in a corner. Apparently, it was empty. Denise has removed all her clothes from the wardrobe and was using her old closet again. She simply could not take seeing the wardrobe everyday, so she pushed it to an inconspicuous corner of her room.

Edmund examined it while Denise went to her bathroom. When she came out, she was in her sleeping clothes. She was about to go to bed when the wardrobe caught her attention. Edmund watched as she hesitated for a minute, pursing her lips. Then she slowly approached the wardrobe. She stood in front of it for a long time. She touched its surface and gripped the knob. She sucked in air and opened the door. There was nothing inside. No forest; no unusual sounds. She sighed and laughed bitterly to herself.

"What, did you expect to see trees inside this wardrobe again?" she mumbled to herself.

She laughed some more. It was cold, sarcastic laughter. Slowly, the smirk disappeared from her face and her laughter was replaced by controlled sobs. She sat down on the floor facing the wardrobe, stared at it, and completely broke down. Every sob felt like a sword plunging into Edmund. He tried to comfort her and failed. He watched as she cried, as she wrapped her arms around her knees and hid her face, her sobs growing louder. It killed Edmund to see her like that.

He tried to hug her. He tried…he desperately tried to make his presence known to her. He wanted her to know that he was there, that he was there for her, but Denise did not see him; Denise did not feel his presence. He tried calling her name; she didn't hear. Then Edmund felt a gust of wind, and he felt a tugging sensation from somewhere behind him. He knew that his time was up; he had to leave.

But no, he would not leave until she felt him…until she knew that he was there for her. He called louder, almost shouting just for her to hear him. But it still failed. The tugging was getting stronger. Any minute now, he would be returned to Narnia and he would never see her again.

"Denise!" he screamed. Then he vanished; he had been brought back to Narnia.

Denise looked up. She heard him. She heard his voice, it called her. But there was no one in the room. She was alone. Besides, Edmund was still in Narnia and he didn't even remember her. She just imagined it. Her mind was just playing tricks on her. She got up, wiped her tears and went to bed.

* * *

Edmund opened his eyes and found himself on his bed in his room. He was back in Narnia, and he felt miserable. Denise was unhappy because of him, and there was nothing he could do to ease the pain. He did not cry; he had had enough of tears. He got out of bed and set out to find the Royal Historian. Edmund decided to have Denise's story written, so that she would somehow still be a part of his world…so that she would not be blotted from Narnia the way she originally wanted.

The Pevensies ruled for three more years after this incident. Then one day, as Edmund was on his way to the library, he heard a faun shout,

"The white stag! The white stag has been seen!"

Upon hearing this, Edmund rushed to the stables and found his siblings all atop their horses already. What happened next is history.

* * *

reviews. :)


	3. Chapter 2: Half sisters and bedtime

Author's notes: I'm so sorry this chapter took too long. Some of you might have thought that I've gone on hiatus or something. But I was just really really busy. Then this chapter got lost in cyberspace when i sent it to my beta through email. BUt here it is now. **I wasn't and i don't plan to go on hiatus. :) **

* * *

"_Too many years, Fighting back tears…Why can't the past just die?" – Wishing you were somehow here again, The Phantom of the Opera_

Chapter two: Half-sisters and Bedtime Stories

A couple of weeks after I returned from Narnia, I celebrated my birthday. Those days were unbelievably hard for me. When I look back now, it's a wonder I was able to pull myself through that experience. But times have changed; I've gotten on with my life in this world. It was hard, but I was able to do it and I do not regret coming back to my world. After all, this is home. This is my real home.

Two years have passed. So many things have happened to me since I came back from Narnia. Here's an update: I finished high school last year. Mom and I are now living in Florida. We moved because the university I enrolled in is located here, and mom was reluctant to part with me. So, she thought it would be right to sell our house and buy one here in Florida. She left her job but got a new one in a hospital nearby. I really like it here. I get to spend time with my mom and my dad, since his house is only a 30-minute drive from our home. Oh, and another thing; mom's getting married some time next month. She and Chris are finally tying the knot, so to speak. I couldn't be any happier for them.

I've been spending a lot of time with my dad. I spent two summers at his house. I've gotten really close to him. We did some dad-and-daughter bonding: we went to an amusement park, saw a movie, visited the beach and watched a football game together. I know…I know- I may be a little too old for those things, but I don't mind. I had a blast with my father. I've learned so much about him and we have so many things in common. He also asked a lot of questions about me. I remember one day while we were at a grocery store, he asked me,

"Do you have a boyfriend, Izzy?" I looked at him strangely and replied,

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"What kind of question is that, dad?" I asked him back.

"Well, I suppose you've had a boyfriend before?" he persisted. I paused to consider.

_Yes, I had a boyfriend before. He's a king of a land with talking animals and moving trees. But he doesn't remember me now._

I didn't think it would be wise to tell him that. So I merely said, "Ooh look, waffles!" Then I dashed off to buy some. Fortunately, dad didn't push the topic anymore.

My dad's new wife, Lisa, is very kind. She welcomed me warmly into their home and treats me like her own daughter. Dad and Lisa have one daughter, and her name is Anne.

She's six years old and has curly, strawberry-blonde hair, striking blue eyes and cute little freckles on her face. I call her Annie; she calls me Izzy. We're rather close to each other. I'm really fond of her. After all, I've always wanted a sibling of my own. She's partly the reason why I spent my summers with Dad.

Annie was staying with me for a week. I was putting her to bed one night and was about to leave the room when she said, "Tell me a story, Izzy." I walked slowly back to the bed as I thought of a good bedtime story.

"Uh…okay. How about Cinderella?" I asked her. She shook her head, saying she already knew about it. "Rapunzel?" I said. Again, she shook her head. I mentioned a lot of other fairy tale stories, the kind I knew little girls loved, but Annie repeatedly said no.

"Can you tell me a new story? Something I don't know yet?" She asked pleadingly. I contemplated. I sat beside her on the bed and inhaled deeply.

"Okay. I'll tell you a new story. I'm quite sure you haven't heard this before." _Heck, no one has ever heard of this before. _

"Ooh, goodie." She grinned up at me. I smiled back. _It's been years, Denise. You've gotten on with your life. It's in the past. It can't hurt you now._

I cleared my throat and began to relate the story of my life.

"Once upon a time, there lived a young girl-"

"Is she a princess?" Annie interrupted.

"Huh?" I was startled. "Uh…okay. Let's make her a princess." I said. I decided it would be best to alter some parts of the story to make it more child-friendly.

"Okay, so once upon a time, there lived a young princess named Princess-" _Name…what name…_

"Princess Victoria. (That sounds princess-ish, doesn't it?). She lived with her parents in a beautiful kingdom in a faraway land. She was a happy little girl, who spent time playing with her toys and doing what she enjoyed doing. Her parents loved her so much." I said. I could tell that Annie was listening very intently.

"One day, while the little princess was reading her favorite book in her room, she was transported into a magical land."

"How did she get there?" Annie asked eagerly. Again, she caught me off guard.

"She…she was brought there by a fairy." I said carelessly with a wave of my hand

"Anyway, the magical land had all sorts of magical creatures in it…" At this, Annie leaned closer. "There were unicorns and centaurs and fauns…"

"Were there mermaids? And fairies?" She demanded. _Oh, children_.

"Sure. And the best part was…the animals could talk!" I added.

She squealed with delight. I laughed. _Oh, children. _

"Okay. So, Princess Victoria wandered around the magical land. Then she met the princes and princesses who lived there. There were four of them; two boys and two girls." I paused, wondering if I should invent names for them. I decided to stick to their real names. I mean, what harm could it do?

"The eldest, a brave boy, was named Peter. He was followed by a very beautiful girl named Susan." I said, describing the Pevensies as I remembered them.

"After Susan came Edmund." Again, I paused. "He was very haughty. And he liked pulling pranks on his siblings all the time." I laughed quietly to myself. "Then there was Lucy, and she was the sweetest little girl Victoria ever met."

"So the four siblings took Victoria in, and they became friends. They lived happily in the magical land where everything was beautiful and peaceful and…well, magical. Victoria was so happy that she quite forgot about her own home."

At that point, I realized I should alter the story a bit. After all, I couldn't simply tell Annie about wars, abduction, broken arms and death of loved ones. I struggled to come up with something less…less harsh.

"But one day, an evil wizard stole something very important from the princes and princesses." I began slowly, making up the story as I rambled on.

"He stole a precious, magical gem. Without it, the magical land and everyone that lived in it would die." It was pretty lame, but I was able to keep an ounce of truth from the real story.

"Oh no!" Annie exclaimed.

"It was very saddening. The magical creatures were all worried, but no one could do anything about it." I said. "Then Victoria decided to do something to help the people. Together with her four friends, she went to the house of the evil wizard to get the gem back." Annie's face seemed anxious. I must be a convincing story teller.

"Unfortunately, the evil wizard found them before they could get the gem. He almost won, but Victoria was able to think of a plan and they were able to defeat him. They got the gem and returned it to its proper place, and the whole land was saved and was once again happy."

"Victoria stayed with them for a long, long time. One night, the fairy that brought her to that land appeared to her." I paused and asked her if she remembered that fairy from the beginning of the story. She nodded and I proceeded.

"The fairy said that it was time for Victoria to return to her own kingdom because her parents were getting really worried. Victoria felt sad, because she didn't want to leave her friends behind, but she knew she had to. She didn't want her friends to be sad when she was gone, so she asked the fairy to grant her one wish."

"What did she wish for?" Annie asked.

"Princess Victoria wished for the fairy to make her friends forget about her once she returned to her world. The fairy granted her wish and Victoria went back to her world and was reunited with her parents. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy forgot about her and continued living happily in the magical land. The End." I ended hastily. I felt uneasy, remembering the ending of my own story.

"That's it?" Annie asked. I nodded.

"That's not a very nice story." She commented. I almost laughed. _If she only knew._

"I'm sorry you didn't like it."

"I didn't like the way it ended." Annie told me. _Neither did I._

"Well, you can't always have happy endings." I said.

"Yes, we can. That's what fairies and wishes are for." She replied.

"Her wish was for her friends to be happy even though she was gone, right? So that must be a happy enough ending."

"It's not. Everyone should be happy in the end. Her friends might have been happy, but was Victoria?" she asked me. _Why does this kid ask me all these uncomfortable questions?_

"She was happy enough when she returned to her world. It's where she belonged anyway." I reasoned.

"I know, but it just seems so sad that she had to leave when she had been there for a long time already. I'm sure I would cry a lot if that ever happened to me." Annie stated. I smiled bitterly. _That's right,_ I thought to myself.

"You see, Annie," I began, trying to teach her an important lesson I had learned in life.

"Sometimes, you have to think not of what will make you happy, but of what will make everyone else happy. It isn't always about your own happiness; you have to think about how others would feel."

She looked baffled. "What's the point of living if you aren't happy? I've been taught that we must always seek the things that make us happy, because that is the only way to enjoy life."

"If you're always busy seeking the things that make you happy, how are you supposed to help out others?" I asked her. She remained silent for a moment, then said,

"Well, helping others does not make us unhappy, does it? There are people who really enjoy helping other people, and they are happy. So maybe, we can be happy while making others happy."

I looked at her intently. She was six years old. _She was just six years old._ "Of course we could be happy while helping others, but what I am saying is that sometimes we have to give up our own happiness for the sake of others."

"How can you make others happy if you aren't happy yourself, Denise? That's like trying to teach someone how to swim when you don't even know how to float in water." Annie told me.

I was stunned. This girl is very smart. "You know what? You better go to bed. I'll be getting you home tomorrow and I don't want your mom thinking that I am depriving you of sleep." I told her. I got up. "You're too young for such things, anyway. Goodnight." I said.

"Night, Denise." I heard her say before I turned the light off.

For some reason, I could not get what she said out of my mind that night. For someone her age, she seemed to know too much.

* * *

reviews. :)


	4. Chapter 3: All over again

author's notes: i am so sorry guys. i know it's been too long. but i was buried under a hell lot of school/choir/miscellaneous work, and i didn't have time to work on this story. but here it is now! yes, it's short. i'm sorry again. but i'm working on the fourth chapter now and if i can finish it tonight, i'll publish it too.

* * *

Chapter three: All Over Again

"One more night. Please?" Annie whined. I had just finished packing her bag and was going to put it in my car's trunk. "Sorry, but I promised your mom that you'd be home three days before school starts." I replied. Mom was out of town with Chris so we were quite alone in the house. Once I get Annie back to dad's place, I would be getting ready for another semester at the university as well. After a while, I finally managed to sweet-talk Annie to return to her home. She waited while I made sure the house was locked then we both got into the car. It was an hour-long drive to my dad's house and during that time, Annie babbled about what we were going to do the next time she was going to stay with me.

"Hey, dad." I lowered my car window to greet my father who was busy mowing their lawn.

"Oh, hi Izzy!" he said. He looked a bit surprised.

"You drove?"

"Yeah. Mom is out of town with Chris." I replied. Annie got out of the car and hugged our dad.

"Hi, sweetie. Welcome back." Dad said as he kissed Annie on top of the head. "You should've just called me to pick her up." Dad told me. I shrugged.

"That's okay. I enjoy driving, anyway." I smiled.

Annie ran towards their house to see her mom and I got out the car and helped dad with her things.

"Why don't you stay for dinner, Izzy? We'll be having it in a couple of hours." He said.

"Sure. I'd love that." I answered. I walked over to him and he hugged me.

"Oh, my little girl is so big already." I was a bit shocked at his sentimentality and I laughed.

"What's up with you, Dad?" I asked.

"Nothing. I just can't believe how fast you've grown up. You're actually driving your own car now." I laughed again.

"I can't be a kid forever anyway. Wait a few more years and Annie will be the one driving her own car." I told him.

"Wait a few more years and you'll be bringing along a little kid to visit grandpa." He winked. I rolled my eyes and said, "Whatever you say, dad."

"What? Don't tell me you don't plan to give me grandchildren." He remarked.

"Dad, I'm 20 years old. I'm still too young for that sort of thing." I muttered. "And besides, I don't think mom would appreciate being a grandmother just yet."

He laughed heartily. "Well, I guess you're right. But I really want grandchildren. A boy, if possible." I shook my head and we walked towards their house.

After dinner, I stayed and helped with the dishes. Afterwards, dad and I talked about various things in their living room. I was shocked when I saw that it was already nine in the evening.

" I think it's better for you to sleep here tonight." Dad said.

"No, I have to get home. I have something to do." I said. "Let me drive you home then."

I shook my head. "It's okay dad. I can manage." I told him. I had this thing for driving alone, you see. It gives me time to think. After a lot more persuading on my part, dad finally agreed to let me drive home alone.

"Drive safely, Izzy. Call me once you get home, okay?" he called after me, as I was about to get inside my car.

"I will. Love you, dad."

The streetlights illuminated an almost empty road as I drove home. I was glad there was no traffic because I was a bit sleepy already. I drove leisurely; I didn't really have anything to do at home. I just made that up for dad.

My phone rang. It was mom.

"Hi mom." I answered. She greeted me back and asked how I was. "I'm good."

I asked how the trip was going, and she said it was great. She wished I went with them instead. But of course I wanted her and Chris to enjoy each other's company.

She asked where I was and I told her I was on my way home from dad's place.

"-Yeah, I'm driving alone. But it's okay, mom." I told her.  
"Dad wanted to drive me home, but I told him I wanted to drive so-"  
She was worried about me driving alone at night, and I told her there was nothing to worry about. Please, I'm a fully grown adult now. I can take care of myself.

"I'll be fine, mom. Besides I'm almost home.."  
"Yeah. Just enjoy your trip okay? Tell Chris I said hi. Love you too-"

"What the-"

There was a flash of blinding light. It surprised and momentarily blinded me.

I thought it was a truck or something that I didn't notice, and I tried to swerve to avoid hitting it. Then the world tipped over.

The light was gone. I heard tires screeching. I felt like I was on a ride in one of the amusement parks Annie and I visited. I was enveloped in darkness again. The last thing I heard was my mom's voice frantically calling me over the phone.

"Izzy? Are you still there? Izzy? Izzy! What happened? Denise!"

I guess I lost consciousness after that.

* * *

I opened my eyes. It was morning already. I winced because my body felt broken, and my head felt like it was being chain sawed. I sat up and tried to move my body. Fortunately, nothing was broken. I looked around. I saw trees. Lots and lots of 'em.

I might have fallen off the side of the road last night. I wondered why no one has come to rescue me yet. I mean, surely someone would have seen the accident last night and- wait.

Where the heck was my car? I looked around me and saw that my car was nowhere to be seen. I should've been still inside it, I thought to myself. It's highly unlikely that I was thrown out of it because I had the doors locked. And if the impact was so great that I was thrown out of the car, my ribcage should be broken right now. I should've died last night.

Or maybe I am dead now. Are dead people supposed to feel pain all over their bodies? I always thought they weren't supposed to feel anything at all. I stood up and walked around, trying to find my car and make sense out of what happened to me last night.

I felt panic rise up through my system when I realized that I could not find any road anywhere. I was right in the middle of a freaking forest and I had no idea how I got there!

I searched the forest floor for my phone. I didn't find it. My bag was nowhere to be seen as well. _Goddamn it. _

"Don't move." Someone said. I felt something sharp against my waist. I whipped around and screamed. One moment I was alone and all of a sudden, I was surrounded. I took one look at them and I knew where I was. There was no mistaking it. I should have realized it sooner. The creatures looked at me with weird looks on their faces. I wanted to faint right then and there. _Not again_, I thought to myself. _After all this time, not again._

It was Narnia all over again.


	5. Chapter 4: Traitors and Liars

Chapter 4: Traitors and Liars

I was surrounded by centaurs, minotaurs, dwarves and animals carrying swords. Oh yes, Narnia indeed. "Who are you?" I asked no one in particular. I guess that was wrong, seeing I was in their territory and not the other way around.

"The horn worked after all." A badger said. He moved closer to me and bowed. "Dearest lady, you do not know how relieved we are now that you are here." He told me. I stared rather stupidly at him. What was this rodent saying?  
"I thought the Horn was supposed to call back the Kings and Queens of Old?" A black dwarf said.  
"The legend says that the Horn will bring forth Narnia's rulers from the past, it did not, however, mention the Kings and Queens." A furry and rather large mouse stated.  
"Kings and Queens? What is this all about? " I asked rather loudly. I did not understand a thing they were saying. "What Horn?" I asked.

"This Horn, milady." The badger addressed me again. He came forward and showed me a white horn wrapped in a piece of cloth. "The Horn of Queen Susan."

_Susan's horn. _I felt a pang of sorrow as I remembered everything. "Why do you have that with you? Susan always kept it with her. Where is she?" I asked again.  
"We do not know, milady. We were expecting the Kings and Queens, but you were brought to us."  
"What? What do you mean brought to you? I was in a car accident and-" I babbled.  
"Wait. You don't know who I am… do you?" I asked.  
"Lady Denise, Narnia's greatest military adviser, who ruled Narnia alongside the kings and queens of old 1300 years ago." The badger said. I blinked fast. This is not possible. I looked around and saw the creatures looking at me with reverence, a look that I have not seen for the past years.

Why do they know me? Aslan promised me that no one would remember and yet- 1300 years? What the hell is going on?

"1300 years ago? What are you talking about? I cannot understand any of this." I muttered.

"Dearest lady, it has been 1300 years since the Kings and Queens vanished from Narnia. Not long after their disappearance, Telmarines attacked and conquered our lands. Since then, Narnians have been killed mercilessly. The survivors were forced to go in hiding. We have waited for so long for the return of our rulers who will lead us to victory once again against our oppressors." The badger said. When I said nothing, he continued to tell of the sad plight of the Narnians under the Telmarine rule.

"I still don't understand. How was I brought here?" I asked after.

"Perhaps I should take it from here." Someone said. I looked up and saw a young man with among the creatures. He stared intently at me, walked forward and bowed before me. All the bowing and "milady" stuff were already giving me the creeps. The young man was tall and broad-shouldered with piercing eyes and carried himself with dignity. The creatures respectfully made way for him and something told me he was some sort of leader.

"Please, allow me to introduce myself." He said. "My name is Caspian the tenth, and I was the one who blew the horn." He recounted his story to me, beginning with how his uncle planned to kill him for his throne. As he rambled on, I learned that he was a telmarine. I learned how he escaped death with the help of his professor who knew a lot about Narnian History and how he blew the horn while he was being chased by telmarine soldiers. According to him, it has been exactly two days since he blew Queen Susan's horn.

My head hurt. None of it was making sense to me. Why do these Narnians know me?  
Aslan promised me no one would remember me after I left. How come they know me 1300 years after that?

"We shall explain more later on, but right now we have to go in hiding before the Telmarines find us." The badger said. Yeah, good idea. Nice one, badger.

I haven't been in it for a day, and yet Narnia was already driving me nuts.

They brought me to an underground hideout. I recognized it.  
"The stone table." I remarked.  
"This is where we have been camping and working on our weapons and our defense while waiting for you and the Kings and Queens." Caspian explained.

_Waiting for me. _ They were really counting on me here. They think I could fix this. They thought I'd come and then solve the whole war thing. They're relying on me.

But I don't want this. I don't want to have anything to do with this. I don't want this sort of life again.

"The Kings and Queens. Have they arrived? Have you found them?" I asked. There were so many questions I wanted to ask. Questions that only the Pevensies can answer. Caspian shook his head as an answer to my question. "Be on the lookout for them. We must find them once they arrive here. " I said, already taking command. I was already here and I had no other choice but to help out in any way I can.  
I may not understand many things, but I knew that my questions would have to wait.  
"In the meantime, tell me about the situation we've got here." And so, Caspian continued to tell me of Narnia's situation. And as he did so, I got depressed. This wasn't the Narnia I knew and loved. Narnia has sunken so low. My heart sank as I remembered the grandeur of Narnia's past and compared it with their underground camp. I felt pity for the Narnians who had to hide in their own lands.

And I decided, _I'm going to do this_. We are going to fight and I'll do whatever it takes to win, to give back what Narnia has lost. It was the beginning of a new adventure for me.

Three days later, the Pevensies arrived.

* * *

Caspian and I along with some troops were in the forest that day. Ever since I arrived, I have been on the lookout for additional troops. The surviving Narnians were painfully few. And if what Caspian has told me about the number of Telmarine troops is true, then we have very little chance of winning an all-out war. I was wandering along the forest and touching the trunks of some trees, willing them to move and come to life once again and aid us in our battle for Narnia. Then I heard the clashing sound of two swords. I ran to find Caspian.

I found him battling with Peter. I could not believe my eyes. It was really Peter!  
"Caspian!" I shouted. And at the same time I called, another voice arose.  
"Peter!"

It was Lucy. I rushed forward towards them.  
"Denise!" Lucy cried. She ran to me and hugged me tightly. She didn't look any different than the last time I saw her. She was in tears. "Oh, I thought we'd never see you again." She said. "Why did you do that? Why did you leave so suddenly? We were so upset, and Edmund was-" She stopped short.  
I removed myself from her embrace. I lifted my eyes and saw Susan nearby. Edmund was a few paces behind her, looking at me. His face was unfathomable. I suppose I looked the same way. Not without difficulty, I tore my eyes off him and told Lucy, "We shall have time to talk about all those things later on. But right now, you need to know that Narnia is in trouble. We are here because they need us."

Turning to Caspian, "You've been waiting for the Kings and Queens of old? Well, here they are."  
"How long have you been here, Denise? What's going on?" Peter asked me.  
"There will be time for questions later." I answered. "But right now, I suggest we go back to camp. "  
And so we headed back to camp. The Narnians all cheered at the sight of the Pevensies. I was happy to be reunited with them, of course, but I can't help but feel troubled. I was sure they would interrogate me. And Edmund... I didn't know how I was going to talk to him again. I couldn't bring myself to approach him. And throughout our journey, he didn't talk to me either. Not that I walked beside them. Actually, I walked silently beside Peter and Caspian.

"Wait." Lucy said while we were inside the camp. "There are a lot of questions I have to ask." The rest of us were silent. "Caspian, would you mind leaving us for a while?" Caspian nodded and left us. Again, everyone was silent. I kept my eyes lowered.

"Denise-" Lucy said. I looked up. "Ever since you disappeared-" she stopped.  
No one spoke. It was probably the most awkward moment ever. We all remained silent for a long while. Realizing that we were wasting valuable time, I spoke up,  
"Alright. I know you guys want to know why I left. Well, I-" I began.  
"We know why you left." Edmund said. It was the first time that I heard him speak again. I stared at him but he averted his gaze.  
"You what?" I asked.  
"We saw it in a dream. All of us." Susan said.

I didn't know what to say. It was not fair. Aslan promised me he would make them forget. I don't understand.

"We know you had to leave. And we also know that you asked Aslan to make us forget about you." Lucy said. I said nothing. "Why did you do that, Denise? I understand that you had to leave and that there was nothing you can do to change that. But why make us forget?" she asked softly. It took me a while to answer.

"Damage control." I said. Of all the things I wanted to say, it was all that came out of my mouth. "Damage control. In any strategy, damage must be kept at a minimum in any possible and thinkable way." I murmured.

"To hell with you and your strategies." Edmund said. His words stung me. I glared at him and he glared right back. "Why bother asking her why she wanted us to forget, Lu?" He spat. "It's obvious. She doesn't want us in her life and doesn't want us thinking that she is part of ours."

I could feel my chest tightening. I stared at him, wondering whatever happened to the Edmund I knew. To the Edmund I loved. "That's not true." I said.

"Oh, I know you. You are very conniving, very convincing. You're good at lying and you can make people easily believe you." He told me.

"When did I lie?" I seethed. "I never lied to you, to any of you! I may have kept the truth from you, but that is different from lying. Silence is not the same as lying to someone! I did what I did because I believed it was for the best. I wanted to save you from hurting. I sacrificed a great deal to save you from pain." I continued. I was beside myself with anger. My hands were clenched fists at my side.

"Excuses! That's the problem with you; you're always looking for the easy way out!" he said.  
"Stop it!" Susan said. But I would not stop. I could never walk away from a fight without hitting back.  
"If you think what I did was easy, King Edmund, then you are highly delusional." I said slowly, my voice laced with as much venom as I could muster. "You don't know what I went through during the first few months after I went back to my life. I endured that pain because I want to protect the people I care about. I do not intentionally cause them pain like a _traitor_."

I knew I got him with that one. His face turned redder and the others were too stunned to say anything. I glared at him for a moment longer. Turning to Peter, I said, "Caspian and I had already laid out some plans. See us later if you're interested to hear it."

I turned around and started to walk away. I heard Lucy call me softly, but I pretended not to hear and continued walking. Caspian saw me. "Where are you off to, Lady-"  
"I want to be alone. " I cut him short. "Relay our plans to the Kings and Queens when they are ready to hear it."  
"But it's not safe to be out in the woods alone-"

"Stop ordering me about, Caspian. I'm not the one who called for help here." I said icily. I turned my back on him and walked towards the woods. I walked and walked until I came by a large tree stump in the middle of the forest. I sat down and placed my head between my hands, trying to calm myself down.

I was angry beyond words. I was angry at everyone. At the Telmarines for ruining Narnia, at Caspian for blowing that blasted horn, at Edmund for being the hard headed git that he is... and I am angry at Aslan. For bringing me back here just when I was getting on with my life, for not doing anything to save Narnia when he could do it by himself, and most especially, for breaking his promise.

I looked around the forest, at the still trees. "You promised me you would make them forget." I said bitterly through clenched teeth. "You promised me, and I believed you. I trusted you. But you are just like everyone else. You lied to me." Tears of anger and frustration rolled down my cheeks.

"_You're a liar_. And now, you bring me back here so I can help your people? So that I will be put to danger for the sake of the Narnians once again? I have gone through so many things for Narnia before and you couldn't even keep a promise in return. _And now you want me to do it again?_ " I said.

There was no answer. It wasn't like I was waiting for one anyway. I sat on that stump for hours, crying myself hoarse. After a while, I stopped, composed myself and decided it was time to head back. I was still going to do it. I would help the Narnians out. But this time, I wouldn't count on that Lion anymore.  
Those who do not know how to keep a promise are not worthy of trust.

I walked back to camp just as the sun was about to set.


	6. Chapter 5: Not the Same

hi people. chapter five is up. enjoy and lemme know what yah think! ;)

* * *

Chapter five: Not the Same

I chose to avoid the Pevensies that night. I looked for Caspian and apologized to him for what I had said earlier. He accepted my apology graciously. I stayed amongst the Narnians to avoid being in the company of the Pevensies. But the next morning, I had no other choice but to talk to them to discuss the plans.  
Caspian has already told them about what I proposed to do. I wanted to take the Telmarines by surprise and attack the castle at night. I knew most of their troops are out in the woods and only a few were left in the main city they have built. Peter thought it was a good idea and wanted to do it. Caspian and Lucy weren't sure.

"If we attack at night, they will not see us coming. At this point, the element of surprise is really all that we've got." I said.  
"But that castle has never been taken before." Caspian said.  
"There's always the first time." Peter said.  
"And no one has ever opposed the Telmarine rule in Narnia, so no one has ever tried to attack it." I added.  
"I think this plan is highly unlikely." Caspian said.  
"Exactly. The Telmarines would never guess that we would attack their castle. It's totally unexpected." I answered.  
"I think we don't have enough troops." Susan said.  
" Waiting here wouldn't increase the number of our troops." I said.  
"If I may, Your Majesties," Trufflehunter, the talking badger said, "I think we are safe here underground. I do not doubt the skill and mettle of Narnians, but we will be in greater danger when we expose ourselves right away."  
"We are not going to stay here and hide until they find us. Narnians have been hiding for too long. It's about time we rise up and fight back." Peter said.  
Caspian still looked doubtful. "Don't you see, Caspian? It's either we hide until they find us or attack even before they are ready for us. Either way, we would have to fight them in the end. It's just a matter of who attacks first."

"You shouldn't be arguing about this." Lucy suddenly said. We turned to her.  
"I mean, shouldn't we wait for Aslan?"  
I chose to let Peter answer that one. "I don't think he's going to help us out on this one, Lu."  
"Of course he will, Peter. He always helps us out. We just have to wait." Lucy replied.  
"They've been waiting for 1300 years, Lucy. " I told her. " I think that's more than enough waiting. We have to do this by ourselves. We're on our own now. "

"What do you say, Edmund?" Peter asked his brother. All this time, Edmund had not said a word.  
"I think we should attack now." He said. He acted as if I was invisible. And I didn't give a damn.  
And so it was agreed upon that we would attack the Telmarine castle that night. Peter, Caspian, Susan and Edmund would take most of the troops with them and a few will be left at camp with Lucy and me.  
I didn't want to stay, but I knew I was practically worthless in the battlefield. I just might hinder them or do something stupid, like dying. I chose to stay because my head is of much worth when it is attached to the rest of my body and is able to devise plans.

* * *

In his castle, Miraz walked briskly towards the library. He was never the one to believe in legends, especially in the old Narnian legends. But when one of his troops came back with a white arrow with a tuft of red feathers saying that it was fired by a lady with flowing brown hair who was with two men and a girl, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

He entered the library and found Cornelius, the old professor of his nephew.  
"The Kings and Queens of old. Who are they?" he asked.  
Cornelius looked up at him and said after a while, "They are the great rulers of Ancient Narnia. High King Peter the Magnificent, King Edmund the Just, Queen Susan the Gentle, and Queen Lucy the Valiant."

Miraz threw the arrow on the table. It landed near an open book showing a picture depicting the kings and queens. "A soldier came back with that. Now tell me, what does it mean? " He demanded.  
"It might be some ordinary arrow." The professor answered.  
" These children ruled 1300 years ago. There is no way they could return, is there?"  
"Well, there is a certain legend..."  
"What legend?" Miraz got even more restless.  
"It is said that when Queen Susan's horn is blown, they would return to Narnia." Cornelius answered.  
"And who is this Denise person? Is she a queen too?" Miraz asked.  
"Why the sudden interest in Narnian folklore, My Lord? You have always said that all this is a waste of time, after all." The professor said, slightly grinning to himself.  
"Just tell me who she is, Cornelius." Miraz replied forcefully.  
"Denise was not a queen. She was the military adviser during the rule of the kings and queens of old. With her help, Narnia triumphed during the war with Calormen. "  
"What sort of plans did she come up with?" Miraz asked.

* * *

"Be careful." Lucy said.  
"We will be." Peter answered. He turned to me. "Denise, I leave you in charge until we return."  
I nodded. "Good luck." I told them. "Do everything according to plan and I'm sure it will work out." I added.

I hugged Susan. Everyone who would be going on the mission was already prepared. Lucy and I watched as they stealthily crept into the night. When they were gone, Lucy and I went inside again.  
"You better sleep, Lucy. I'll stay up and wait for them." I told her.  
"I'll stay up with you. I'm not a child anymore, you know." She replied.  
"Alright then. I didn't say you were a child. After all, even grownups need rest."

We were both silent. After a while, she spoke.  
"You and Edmund..." she stopped.  
When I didn't say anything, she said,  
"You shouldn't have said that thing about traitors to him yesterday. You know his past; you know it still has a hold on him."  
"He had it coming to him." I answered curtly.  
"He didn't mean it, you know. He was really upset. When you disappeared..." she trailed off.  
I furrowed my eyebrows in irritation. I did not want to talk about that. I didn't want to think about it. I didn't care anymore.

"Denise, what you and Edmund had was beautiful and-"  
"-it ended 1300 years ago." I butted in.

"But I know you really loved each other." She said.  
"Feelings change, Lucy. People change."  
"And you don't love him anymore?" she asked. It took me a while to answer, because I had to choose my words carefully.  
"You know what I've learned, Lucy? I learned that there are a lot of things that are more important than what you feel. The stupidest thing you could ever do to yourself is to let your emotions run your life.

"You're a lot like him, you know that?" she told me. "Both of you are so stubborn. I know my brother and I know that he has not stopped loving you until now. I know he did not mean a single thing he said yesterday. I know he misses you so much. When you left, Denise, Edmund was almost inconsolable. He never really showed it to us, but I know how much pain he went through. And he went back to his old sullen self, you know. Remember how we always said that he changed a great deal when you came? How he changed for the better? When you left, you brought that change with you. "

I said nothing.

"Denise, my brother cares a great deal for you. But you know men and how proud they are. " she said. I still said nothing. "You two should talk." She added.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm here for the war, Lucy." I said.

"Well, maybe you weren't brought back here just to help the Narnians this time. Maybe Aslan brought you here because he wants you to fix this too." She said with a slight smile.

I scoffed. "Yeah? And it took him 1300 years to realize that, huh?"  
"He has his reasons." She replied.  
"And I suppose his reasons are far too complicated for us to understand so he doesn't bother clueing us in on what is happening, right? Or does he just really enjoy being mysterious all the time?" I said.

"He's not like that, Denise. You know that. " Lucy told me, her eyes imploring me to believe, to trust the lion again.

"Oh, you mean he's worse?" I said coldly. I saw genuine pain in her eyes and so I decided to soften myself a bit for her sake.

"I don't know him anymore, Lucy. Truth be told, I don't think I ever did know him. I thought I did, but I was wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things."

"Denise, I know you think Aslan broke his promise to you but-" Lucy began. I cut in before she could finish.  
"But what? But maybe it just isn't meant to be that way? Or maybe you're going to say that he has a better plan for me? " She looked stunned. I continued. "Sorry, Lucy, but I'm not buying that bullshit anymore."

Lucy didn't say anything. She looked up at me with tears starting to form in her eyes. I automatically felt guilty. "Denise, I know it's all unclear right now. But I'm sure it will work out in the end. You just have to believe in Aslan. You just have to hold on to your trust in him, Denise. "

I looked pityingly at her. I pursed my lips and said, "There is nothing left to hold on to, Lucy."

"You've changed, Denise. You've changed a lot." She told me. "People change." I answered, repeating what I said earlier.

"I liked the old Denise better; the Denise who laughed and smiled easily. I miss the old Denise. "

After a brief moment of silence, I said, "Thank you for telling me that, but this is me now. I was young then. Things are different."

I told her I wanted some fresh air and went out.


	7. Chapter 6: Changing Tactics

Chapter Six: Changing Tactics

It has been almost an hour since the sun rose. I paced back and forth, wringing my hands with anxiety.  
"What's taking them so long?" I hissed. "Are they crazy? It's broad daylight already. They're going to blow our cover!"

"I'm sure they'll be here any time now." Lucy said. She was trying to keep me relaxed, but I can see that she is also getting worried already. "I have a bad feeling about this, Lu." I said softly.

A faun called our attention, saying that the troops have returned. Lucy and I rushed outside. And I did not like what I saw.

"What happened?" Lucy asked. No one answered.  
"Where are the others?" I said. Still, no one answered. I looked at Caspian. He averted his gaze. Peter was looking at the ground, his jaw clenched.  
"Will someone please speak up now!" I said.

"We were attacked." Susan said jadedly. "What? You were the ones who were supposed to attack and catch them unaware-" I said. Edmund cut me off.

"They were ready for us. It's almost like they knew we were coming; like they've been expecting us all along."

"But- how could they possibly know?" I asked.  
"I think I know why, milady." Someone spoke up. I have never seen him before. "Who is this?" I asked.  
Caspian spoke up. "This is Professor Cornelius. He was my tutor in the old days; he taught all about the Narnians. He was being kept prisoner, and so we rescued him."  
"_We?"_ Peter finally spoke. We all looked at him.

"If _you_ didn't suddenly run off to find him, then the other Narnians would still be here now!"  
"If we didn't attack the Telmarine castle, then they would definitely still be here." Caspian retorted.  
"There was a plan! But you ran off and didn't follow through with it!" Peter shot at him.  
"I don't have to answer to you."  
"You called us and asked for help, remember?"  
"Well, maybe I shouldn't have!"

"Shut up, both of you!" I screamed. "Act like men and stop being a bunch of girls."  
"I don't want to hear about who followed the plan and who didn't. What's important here is for us to know how they knew we were going to attack." I looked at Caspian's professor. "Do you know?"

"I think I do. You see, milady, Miraz went into my study a few days back. He asked me questions about Narnia's Golden Age. He asked about its rulers." Here he cast a reverent glance at the Pevensies and at me.

"I don't understand." I said. "So Miraz knew about Narnia's rich history and all... but how did he know we were going to attack?"  
"He knew about you, milady. He knows everything about you. I remember he was particularly interested in how you planned the war strategies that helped the Narnians win over the Calormenes 1300 years ago-"

"Stop right there." I interrupted. "He knew about me? How can he possibly know about me? "

The professor looked baffled. He answered, "Anyone who studies Narnian history is sure to know you,milady. We historians look up to you almost as an equal of the Kings and Queens. Countless books, most of them dating back to the reign of the great kings and queens have been written about your conquests."

After a while, I hissed. "Excuse me?" I turned to the Pevensies.  
"And whose _brilliant_ idea was it to have books written about me, huh?" Somehow, I thought I knew the answer already.  
"It was me." Edmund said. _I knew it._ Something clicked inside my ears and it took all I had not to explode with anger right then and there.

"Dismiss the troops, will you, Pete? They should rest. Besides, they shouldn't see us all fighting like this." I said quietly, trying to reign in my anger. Peter agreed and asked Lucy to get the healers and help them mend the wounded.  
"Why don't we all discuss this inside?" Peter said.

I was seething with anger. I did not think it was possible to feel such hatred for one person, and that person was Edmund. I wanted so badly to scream at him, to say so many hurtful things to him. I was so angry I could actually picture myself strangling him.

But I let it go. I reminded myself that I was in Narnia for the war. The sooner the war is over, the sooner I can get back to my life. I will not entertain anything that is not related to the war. And so with all the will power I had, I tried to calm myself.

"Right now, we have to compose ourselves for the sake of the Narnians. They shouldn't see us losing our tempers like that again." I said. I looked at Peter and Caspian.  
"Denise is right. They are all counting on us. From now on no one fights over things that cannot be undone anymore, alright?" Susan added. We all agreed.

"We have to figure out what are next move will be." Peter said. "Denise, any ideas?"

"I've been thinking a lot while you were all gone. Actually, I thought the strategy we used against the Calormenes would work against the Telmarines as well. But since those strategies are no secret anymore," I did not bother to keep out the hint of annoyance in my voice and casually dropped an icy stare at Edmund. "We'd have to alter our tactics now."

"You mean, instead of sneak attacks, we'd risk an all-out war?" Peter asked me.  
"No. With the few soldiers and weapons we have at this point, we have no chance of winning an all-out war." I said.  
"So what did you have in mind?" Susan asked.  
"I'm going to lay it out for all of you, alright?" I began.

"The way I see it, the enemy has tons of advantages over us. They are greater in number; they have more weapons. Plus, they happen to know a lot about us. We, on the other hand, know very little about them. If we want to win, we have to weaken them. Sneak attacks won't work any longer, I know. But it doesn't mean that we cannot use stealth and cunning anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone has a weakness, no matter how great they are. We need to find out what the weaknesses of the Telmarines are. That way, we can attack them where they are most vulnerable."

"But how do we do that?" Susan asked.

"We spy on them for a while. Observe how they do things. I'm sure Caspian can tell us some things about Telmarines that can help us." I said. They just stared at me.

"That's it? That's your plan?"

"Right now, yes. It's not like there's much we can do other than that." I answered.  
"When do we attack?"  
"When we're better equipped."  
"What if they attack us before we can even find out anything useful?"

"Oh, they won't do that." I answered confidently.  
"How can you be so sure?" Peter asked.  
" It has been a week since I arrived in Narnia. I've observed the enemy, and I've noticed that they are just waiting."

"Waiting?"

"Yes. They've never encountered anything like us before. So they're waiting to see how we move." I said. "But what we're gonna do is to make them wait longer. We won't attack just yet." I said.

They were all quiet. It wasn't the best plan, I know. I was asking them to wait and see what happens next. Knowing Peter, I was sure he didn't like that much. But again, we didn't have any other option. After considering it for a while, he said.

"Alright, then. We'll wait. We'll also send out some spies."

"May I suggest that we train the troops while we are waiting?" Caspian said. It was the first time he said anything all throughout the discussion.

"Good idea. Susan can train the archers. And you boys can train the troops in swordfight." I agreed.

"If they attack..." Susan said.

"We'll make sure we are ready when they do." Peter told her.


	8. Chapter 7:What do you want me to do?

**author's notes: i know, i know. it's been too long since i last updated this story. and i don't know if you'd care about it, but i have a bunch of reasons why. First off, my laptop crashed and i lost chapters 7 and 8(which i have worked on already, and have quite forgotten what i wrote). Also, i got so busy with school. i've finished high school and got into the mess they call college, so i'm afraid i don't have much time in my hands as i used to have. But that's okay, i love college.**

**can i just share about myself awhile? hahaha. :))  
****I'm taking up BA Communication Arts in UPLB, (i guess only the filipinos would understand why i have so little time-hahaha.)**

**so yeah. i'm rather busy. but of course i'll still try to keep up with my story. so here goes. =)**

**PS- i hope you don't mind that i don't capitalize stuff- i'm writing this in the document manager, sooo...**

* * *

** Chapter 7: What do you want me to do?**

The next day, training begun. Peter and Edmund trained Narnians in swordfighting; Susan took care of the archers. For a few moments, i watched the proceedings. Then i started to feel utterly useless. _This is war_, i thought to myself. _I shouldn't be idle. i should be doing something._ but what was i to do?  
It's not like i could fight in battle anyway.

I decided to find Caspian's professor and talk to him. it dawned on me that i practically knew nothing about what and who we were up against. i had to know what Miraz was like: how he planned his wars, how he fought his battles. so i went back inside our camp.

Everyone was training outside, so i wasn't surprised to find the place deserted. I caught a glimpse of a silhouette move and i whipped around.  
"Caspian?" i called out. i thought it was him. He didn't seem to hear me, and he continued to walk deeper into our underground quarters. i called him a second time but he still didn't hear me.

I was about to follow him when Edmund appeared from behind me. "Lu-"  
He stopped when he saw that i was alone. he stared at me. I stared back. _how awkward._

"Have you seen Lucy?" he finally asked me.  
I shook my head. Again, there was that awkward silence between us. Half my mind was telling me to go and follow Caspian, but i just couldn't take my eyes off of Edmund. It sounds crazy and juvenile, i know. I was waiting for what he was going to say- if he was going to say anything.

He just continued to stare.

"Denise-" he began. i looked at him attentively. For a long while he just let my name hang in the air and didn't say another word.  
"What?" i said.

"I- We haven't been alright these past few days." he said. When i merely raised an eyebrow, he continued.  
"I mean, we've been fighting and arguing all this time. And when we're not, we just ignore each other. We haven't talked properly yet."

i would have asked him what there was to talk about, but of course, i already knew. He looked at me, and i thought how funny it was that his eyes still had that effect on me. before i can stop myself, memories flooded my mind. I mentally reprimanded myself and tried to compose my thoughts. i cleared my throat and said as emotionless as i can,

"shouldn't we be more concerned about the war? It's what we were brought here for anyway."

he looked at me for a long time without saying anything. I remember he used to do that a lot before, like he was trying to see past my carefully arranged mask and read my mind.

"What do you want me to do, then?" he questioned. " You want me to go around like nothing's wrong, is that it?"

"There is nothing wrong, Edmund. Except for the fact that we are facing a great adversary, nothing is wrong." i said.

"So that's what you've been telling yourself." he answered.

"There is nothing wrong." I repeated through gritted teeth.

A pained expression came into his face. i felt like the same expression was on my face. _why did we have to hurt each other over and over again about this matter? _

_"_What happened to you, Denise?_" _he asked me. "You aren't the Denise i knew. You've changed too much. What happened to you?"

I didn't answer.

"What happened to us?" he asked softly.

"Us?" i murmured. " 'us' was 1300 years ago."

"yes." he replied. "1300 years ago. and now we're both here, back in Narnia. we are both facing an enemy, both preparing for a war... just like 1300 years ago."

"It's different now." i said. "I'm different now. You said so yourself."

he was about to say something, but i cut him off.

"I don't how many times i've said this, nor how many times i would have to say it again. But like what i've told you, i'm here for the war. No more, no less. i just want to get this whole thing over and go home. "

"Stop treating this thing personally, Edmund. We weren't sent here for some sort of dramatic reconciliation." i added.

"I know why we're here, Denise. And i'm not treating this personally, like what you're thinking. You know me better than that." he told me.

"What do you want me to do, then?" i asked. "You want things to be how they used to be between us, is that it? you want me to get freaking cozy with you just like before? and then what? When all this is over and i'd have to go home once again, you want me to go through all that- that...-"

i failed to finish what i was saying because the memories of those painful times washed over me. I remembered all those nights i spent crying or trying to sleep in vain, all those horrible, horrible dreams that left me shaking when i woke up, those days of feeling half-alive, those times when i wished with all my might that i didn't leave Narnia at all. I remembered the pain that shot through my chest every time i caught a glimpse of the wardrobe that started all this, and of dreaming of everything that happened to me in Narnia.

And above all, i remembered the pain i felt whenever my mind wandered and thought of what could have been if i had not been asked to leave.

_No._ I told myself, _There is no way i am putting myself through all that again._

"You don't have to be afraid." he said softly, comfortingly. he looked into my eyes, his sincerity overwhelming me, and said,

"I know this might not be for long, but this is all we've got, Denise. we've been through this before, so maybe when the time comes for us to leave, we would be stronger and would not break down as before." he said softly, his eyes pleading with me to understand, and to trust.

I shook my head. "maybe you will be," i murmured, " but i won't be. i know myself,and i know it would crush me when goodbye comes again."

"You asked me a moment ago what i want you to do." i looked at him. " i want you to just let me be, Edmund. Please. Because honestly, i've been through too much already. you have no idea how hard it was for me. And i'm doing the best that i can to prevent the same thing from happening again."

i saw pain in his eyes, but there was no other way.

this pain i could take. or at least, there are more pressing things that would take my mind off it.  
The same thing goes for him. This is better than having to bear the pain of separation for the second time.

* * *

my, my. wasn't that mushy.  
geez, i'm really sorry guys. was it too crappy?  
it's just that i'm in the mood for drama right now... and well, that's what came out.  
tell me what you think?

loves.


	9. Chapter 8:The White Witch

Author's notes: hi people. god its been so long. yeah i won't bother with the excuses,but here you go . Enjoy :)

* * *

Chapter 8: The White Witch

"If that's what you really want." He said. _No, it's not what I want. But who cares about that, anyway?_

The whole conversation was tearing me up. Things are already getting impossible to work out without Edmund trying to fix stuff between us. When did my life get so problematic? Oh, right- when I got thrown back into Narnia. There must be something with me and this place. Life on Earth is simpler; more Denise-friendly. No battles to plan, no army to train... No decisions harder than choosing my major. Narnia is downright barbaric.

I was about to respond when I heard a strange voice from further in the cave.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Edmund.  
"What?" he asked.  
"I heard a voice- listen, there it is again." And indeed I heard it again. It sounded crusty- like the witch voice you hear in cartoons.  
Edmund seemed to listen and looked baffled at the voice. "What's it saying?" he asked me.  
"I don't know...I can't quite understand it." I answered. The fact that this was our first normal conversation was lost on me due to the strange voice.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked me as I moved ahead of him, towards the sound.  
"I'm gonna go see." I said. I continued to follow the sound deeper into our hideout. I remembered seeing Caspian going this way a few moments back. I was aware of Edmund's hand clutching the hilt of his sword as he followed me.

I finally found the sound of the voice.

It seemed like a ritual was going on. Caspian was standing in the middle of the circle drawn on the earth. There was an ugly, bird-like creature that stood on two feet. It was the owner of the voice I heard, and now I could hear that it was speaking in a language completely foreign to me. But what really caught my eye was a lady- a very beautiful lady seemingly contained in ice. It is impossible to describe what effect her beauty had on me... she was simply mesmerizing. She was talking to Caspian, and he seemed completely enthralled by her. She reached out a hand, and Caspian's hand moved from his side-

"Caspian, don't!" Edmund shouted.

The lady took her hand back and looked at us with such anger in her eyes. I felt a chill run down my spine when her eyes landed on me.

Edmund took out his sword and rushed forward.

"No! Don't let him get near! " Someone said. I was surprised to find a dwarf that was with us clutching a dagger, apparently on the beautiful lady's side. I realized that he probably led Caspian here, intending to trick him for some evil purpose.

Suddenly, there was a growl. A huge, hairy beast appeared and was about to attack Edmund.

"Edmund!" was all I was able to say. This attracted the ugly bird's attention to me. I was scared out of my wits when it pinned me down with its sharp eyes and let out an unearthly shriek. Instincts told me to begin running for my life the moment it strode quickly towards me.

I ran, thinking how helpless I was because I had nothing to defend myself with. My eyes caught a sight of Caspian, who seemed to be still dazed. I ran towards him, intending to knock him out of his enchantment. Suddenly the dwarf was in front of me, his dagger raised high. I screamed.

He fell dead on the floor when Edmund's sword pierced him from behind.  
"Get out of here!" Edmund practically shouted at me.

I was petrified and was unable to move for a while until Edmund grasped my arm and shook me violently. I snapped back to reality, and looking past him I saw Caspian reaching out towards the lady.  
I had no idea what the lady wanted, but I just knew that she was evil. I pushed past Edmund and ran towards Caspian.

"Caspian!" I shouted. I reached him without obstruction and pushed him with all the force I could muster. He flew about 3 meters away because of the impact.

"You!" the lady cried. I turned to look. Her eyes held on to mine, and she smiled.

"I mean no harm." She said in a voice that sounded like softly gushing water. I stared right back at her and held her gaze for some time.

Around me everyone seemed to have frozen. The lady continued to smile.  
"Come." She spoke again, reaching her hand out to me.

"Not in your life, bitch." I said.

I swear I could have laughed at the expression on her face if the situation wasn't half as serious and as dangerous as it was.

In the meantime, Caspian seemed to have come out of his trance. I whirled when I heard more voices and was relieved when I saw Peter and Susan. They both looked horribly shocked when they saw the lady.

Peter brought out his sword and rushed towards the bird-thing. I decided that in front of the lady was no place for me to be in, so I ran, intending to stand somewhere near Susan. I was almost there when Susan screamed something I didn't quite understand. The next thing I knew I was face to face with the hairy beast I saw a moment ago. I was stunned with fear and was only partly aware of it lowering its head. Seething pain coursed through my body as I realized that the brute bit my shoulder. I could feel myself rising from the floor, like a ragdoll held in a dog's mouth before the dog shakes it violently. The pain seemed to be killing me and I screamed. At the same time I heard the sound of breaking glass. Later, I learned that it was Edmund breaking the ice and killing the lady.

As abruptly as I was lifted from the floor, I fell to the ground painfully when the beast let go of my shoulder. Susan has sent an arrow flying straight to its back. I heard the sound of a sword piercing flesh, and the beast fell down somewhere near me. Peter was standing right behind it.

He crouched down beside me and was talking to me. I couldn't understand what he was saying.  
The pain was unbelievable. I felt like my shoulder was on fire. I tried to bring my other hand to it. I felt warm liquid- my blood.

Then Edmund was there. He looked at my shoulder, then at my face with such an anguished expression.  
"Get Lucy!" he yelled.  
He frantically looked around; looking for something I don't know what.  
"We have to stop the bleeding." He cried hysterically. I could feel the back of my head already soaked in my blood.  
"Press your hand over it." I think it was Caspian who said it.  
The moment I felt Edmund's hand touch my shoulder, the pain doubled. I screamed.  
"Don't touch me, please! Please!"  
I could no longer understand what they were saying; I was losing sight of everyone.  
I screamed and screamed. I felt like my head was going to explode.

Susan and Lucy arrived. Lucy instantly paled when she saw me. I heard Edmund shout something.  
Lucy knelt beside me and gave me a drop of the liquid from her cordial.  
Then the fire died down; the pain disappeared. Everyone seemed to relax once the screams stopped.

"Denise?" I heard Edmund say somewhere above me. I smiled weakly in reply.  
"What happened?" Peter asked.

"Caspian can tell you. I'll talk to you later." Edmund told his brother. He picked me up in his arms and stood up.  
"I can walk." I said. He ignored me and talked to his sister instead.  
"Lu, can you come with me and help prepare something Denise could sleep on?"  
"Sure. C'mon."

We left the others and went to the sleep quarters. Edmund kept his gaze ahead. He seemed not to be bothered by my weight at all. I was quite sure I've gotten heavier since the last time he carried me like this, and that was quite a long time ago. We reached our destination and Lucy quietly prepared a bunk for me. No one spoke a word. Once it was ready, Edmund carefully placed me on it.

"Thank you...both of you." I said. I felt so exhausted.

Then I fell asleep.

* * *

reviews please.:)


	10. Chapter 9: Losing Her

Hi! I've updated. You see, there is this really sweet reader who goes by the name of Kiriie. and i uploaded this one as a thank you for her. :) It's painfully short, sorry. I'm still working on the kinks on the other chapters, you see. enjoy. :) -aravis

* * *

Chapter 9: Losing Her

Lucy and Edmund watched Denise for a while, not saying anything. Then Lucy turned to her brother. He looked exhausted himself.  
"You look like you could use a little rest yourself, Ed." She said. Edmund shook his head.

"I'm fine. I was just – I was so worried." Lucy hugged him.  
"It must've been horrible for you, seeing her like that." She said. Edmund felt himself relax in his  
sister's embrace, which reminded him so much of their mother.  
"I thought I was going to lose her again." He muttered.

He thought he did. When he saw the last of the white witch and found his older brother crouching beside a person on the ground, he had his doubts. But when he caught a glimpse of the familiar flowing brown hair, his blood ran cold. At that point, he hoped she only fainted. But he knew it was highly unlikely...she wasn't the fainting type, after all.

When he saw what had happened to her, he almost cried out. There was a huge gash on her left shoulder, reaching all the way up to the base of her neck. The bite of the werewolf was very visible. The part where its teeth sank into her flesh was swollen and ragged. He shuddered when he thought that with a few shakes the werewolf would have successfully severed her arm. She was bleeding profusely, and was practically writhing in pain. He panicked at the sight of her losing too much blood. He knew the bleeding must be stopped, and so he did not hesitate when Caspian suggested that he pressed down on the wound.

And then, she screamed.  
"Don't touch me, please! Please!"  
Every scream felt like a sword plunging deep into Edmund. She writhed in pain and he felt helpless.  
Edmund shuddered as he remembered what has happened.

"It was unbearable, Lu." He said. "Seeing her in so much pain and being unable to do anything to stop it... it almost killed me."

He remembered the only other time when he felt so terrified of losing her. It was when they were in Calormen, and she was abducted by the enemy. He spent sleepless nights imagining what could have happened to her back then. He thought imagining her suffering was terrible, but actually seeing it was worse. Somehow, knowing that he was far from her and could not be able to do anything to aid her had helped him cope with the torturing thoughts he had back then. But this time around, he was beside her, and still he was not able to do anything. It was beyond cruel.

"The important thing is that she's safe now. I know you've done what you can for her." Lucy reassured him.  
"If you didn't arrive on time, she could've..." Edmund trailed off.  
He looked at Denise as she slept peacefully. She was still partly covered in her blood. He found a piece of cloth and went near her bunk. Slowly, carefully so that it would not wake her, Edmund wiped the blood off the side of her face. When Lucy saw what he did, she said,  
"I'll go get some water to wash it out."  
"Thanks, Lu." He muttered, turning to look towards his sister. Then he returned his gaze at Denise and gently removed a few stray strands from her face. Lucy smiled to herself as she went out to get some water.

Edmund's thoughts kept on returning to what happened a few moments back. In his mind, he could still see her lying in a pool of her own blood. It pained him to think that her life was in constant danger here in Narnia-the only place where they could be together. And at that instant, he knew she was right.

She was right for wanting to go back home. She was right for wanting to end this war as fast as possible. Staying here was practically lethal for her. And he wondered if that was the reason why Aslan had her return to Earth in the first place. Maybe Narnia is just not right for her. But why had the Lion brought her back here?

Was she to put her life in danger for the sake of those who weren't even her people? Was she to risk everything just to help the Narnians? Was she to die a martyr in a foreign land and disappear from her family?

Of these sacrifices he thinks little when it comes to himself. Narnia was his home and he will never hesitate to offer his assistance whenever it needs him, be it a matter of life and death. But when it is Denise in question, it's a wholly different thing. He will never let anything happen to her again. She wants him to let her be, then he will. But that doesn't mean he can't protect her.

Yes, that's what he'll do. Protect her. He will never allow anything to endanger her life again. If she could hear his thoughts right now, she'd probably insist that she doesn't need his protection. That she could very well take care of herself. Edmund laughed silently to himself at this thought. He knows all too well how stubborn she is, not to mention how persuasive she could be, when she sets her mind to it. How many times had he yielded to her demands before because of her persuasion?

But he's stronger now... or at least he likes to think he is. She will never be able to sway his decisions again, and he will protect her even if she doesn't want it. He must keep her alive and well... at least until it's time for her to return to her world.

Edmund lowered his head and softly kissed Denise's forehead as she slept.

* * *

reviews.


	11. Chapter 10: Mistakes

AAAAAAH i missed this! school finally ended and gave me the chance to work on this story again. This chapter isn't really a biggie, I'm afraid. i'm having problems with the plot and am not quite sure if i would continue with this story.I apologize for not coming up with a better chapter after making you wait for months. But i still hope you'd enjoy this one and i hope you would bear with me while i struggle to come up with a plot better than the Manhater's. :)

* * *

Chapter 10: Mistakes

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I did was to touch my shoulder. The cloth of my shirt was a bit shredded, but the wound seemed to have healed.

"You shouldn't worry about that, the werewolf wasn't able to rip you arm off." I looked up and found Edmund approaching me. He sat on a chair near my bunk, and I sat up.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.  
"I'm okay." I replied. I looked at my shoulder and noticed that there was a scar left.  
"Werewolf? That hairy thing was a werewolf?" Edmund nodded.  
"Wait- won't that make me..." I said with a hint of panic in my voice. "You know, werewolf-ish?"  
"I'm not sure I understand." He answered, looking puzzled.  
"Well people who get bitten by werewolves turn into werewolves themselves!" I told him.  
"And where did you hear that?"  
"I- I read it in a book once."  
He gave me a quizzical look.  
"No, it doesn't work that way here. We've seen werewolf bites before on people, but it really didn't cause them to become one. " he told me. I relaxed.  
"Thank goodness." I said.

We stared at each other for a while. I was the first to avert my eyes.

"Hey, thanks for saving me back there."I told him. He shook his head.  
"It was Peter who killed the werewolf, and it was Lucy's cordial that healed you."  
"Yeah, but I don't mean that. I meant when that dwarf was about to stab me with his dagger."  
"Oh." Was all he said.  
"Do you know who that lady was, the one in ice? I mean you sort of looked like you knew her."  
Edmund nodded his head and said, "That was the White Witch."

The white witch. Of course, why hadn't I thought of that?  
"I thought she died already." I mused.  
"I thought so too. But she's a witch, after all. And I shouldn't have been surprised to see her alive, knowing how powerful she was." He answered.  
"What did she want with Caspian?"  
"A drop of his blood. A drop of blood from a son of Adam was all she needed to live again. I mean, out of her ice cage."  
"And the dwarf led Caspian to her, thinking that she would end the Telmarine rule." I thought loudly.  
Edmund nodded.  
"And he would've succeeded in his plans, if we didn't arrive when we did. "  
"There was something about her, you know. Caspian seemed to be in a trance or something, and I had to push him to shake him out of it." I said. Edmund nodded again.  
"That's the most powerful thing about her, I guess. Anyone would've done what she asked." He told me. I remembered he told me before how he once fell under this enchantment and understood at once.

"But you didn't seem to be. I thought at first that you were when you stood there frozen and gazing at her. But did it actually work on you?" he asked me.

"No, it didn't really. I guess it doesn't work that way with women." I shrugged.  
He laughed. _Wait, what's so funny about what I said?  
_"So you think it's just us men who are susceptible to that kind of thing?" he asked. "Still biased against us, are you?"

"No. That was me a long time ago, Ed- then I grew up. Besides, that wasn't what I was getting at. " I told him. I was rather hateful of men before, but things have changed.

"Listen, I- uh..." he began. I looked at him.  
"I wanted to apologize about our conversation a few hours ago. " I didn't say anything.  
"You're absolutely right. It's really important for us to focus on the war." He explained. "And it has been 1300 years, anyway."

_What's_ going on? I thought to myself.

"Besides, the situation is already complicated as it is without the both of us feeling uncomfortable when we're planning strategies with the others."

"So what you're saying is...?" I asked.  
"I'm saying we should have a truce between us now." He said. It took me a while to absorb what he said.  
_Truce?_ _Why the sudden change in him?  
_  
"Yeah, you're right." I said despite of my confusion. He nodded.  
"That's good." He said.

There was a long moment of silence.

"You should probably rest some more." he finally spoke. "I'll be leaving you now."  
Completely bewildered, I nodded my head and watched him leave the room without another word.

I sat on the bunk for some time, contemplating what just happened. I wondered what caused that sudden shift in Edmund. It seemed so odd to me.  
After a while, I got tired of sitting there thinking and decided to find something productive to do.

On my way out, I saw Lucy. She was a little shocked to see me out of the bed already and asked how I was feeling. I told her not to worry anymore, and I thanked her for saving my life.

"I was so scared for you," she said. "I'm glad you're better now."

We went out together and found the camp back to normal. The troops were training. I took some time to watch Peter and Edmund. I can't help but wonder about what Edmund has told me a few moments back.

But I think it's for the best. He's right in proposing the truce. Hopefully things won't be as difficult as they were the past few days. It would be great if we could talk a normal talk, you know. Without feeling uncomfortable with each other and all.

I spent the rest of the day with Lucy. Peter saw me and came over to ask how I was. I told him what I told the others, and thanked him for saving me. He then informed me that he has already talked to Caspian about the White Witch. He said Caspian was upset and seemed ashamed of his momentary weakness, but he explained to him that he need not worry about it anymore. He also told me Caspian felt guilty because I was put to danger because of him.

"I'll go talk to him." I said.

I went away to look for Caspian and found him sitting by himself. He looked rather forlorn.  
"Hey." I said as I approached.  
"Lady Denise-" he said and stood up. I waived and motioned for him to sit back down. I sat beside him.  
"Listen, drop the Lady-thing, will you? Just call me Denise." I told him.  
"Are you feeling alright?" he asked me. I nodded.  
"I'm great. The cordial has done its job."  
"I apologize-" I cut him off.  
"It wasn't your fault, Caspian."  
"But it is. If I hadn't listened to Nikabrik..." he trailed off. I shook my head.  
"Forget about it. The important thing is that nothing horrible happened." I told him.  
"You were attacked by a werewolf." He stated.  
"But as you can see, I still have my arm. And the White Witch has not returned to life. " I replied.  
He looked at his feet. "I was weak."  
"No, she was just too powerful."  
"I was believing everything she told me, and I wanted to bring her back to life so that she could help us win this war." He muttered.

"So that's what she told you, huh?"  
He nodded. "And what else did she say?"  
Caspian didn't answer for quite some time. I waited patiently.  
"She said that you and the Kings and Queens would not be able to help me win this war against my uncle. She said you are just a bunch of children. She promised me that if I freed her, she would end the war and restore the Narnians to their lands with a single wave of her hand. We don't even have to fight and lose anyone, she told me."

"That was quite a generous offer." I mused.  
He looked at me. "How could you take it so lightly, Denise? I almost freed the White Witch. You almost died. And yet it is as if you don't care about those things. "

"You're right, I don't." I answered. "You said it yourself, Caspian. You _almost _freed the white witch. I _almost_ died. But it didn't happen, so why fret about it?"

"But-"  
"Listen to me. It is but natural for you to make mistakes. In your life you are you are going to make so much more of them. But that doesn't matter, because what matters is how you're going to deal with it. And wallowing in guilt is not how you're supposed to deal with the mistake."

"Take me, for example. I've made so many mistakes in my life already that I cannot count them anymore. Some of them endangered the lives of the people around me. Given the position I hold, my responsibilities are tremendous; my decisions are tough. And no matter how hard I worked, no matter how carefully I planned, I still made mistakes. For a time, I grew afraid of risking anything because of the consequences of my faults. But you don't gain anything if you don't risk anything."

"Remember; not all your battles will be successful. Not all your decisions will be right. We can only try and give the best that we can, but no one can ever really come up with the perfect battle plan. No one goes to war and emerges unscathed, Caspian." I finished.

He was speechless. He just looked at me with a sort of awe in his eyes.  
"Darn, I must have sounded really old to you." I said with a laugh.  
"No, just really wise." He replied.  
"The white witch told you that the Pevensies and I are just a bunch of kids. Well, she's right. We're a bunch of kids who has tons of experience with this sort of thing. We've fought battles and have won quite a lot of them too. " I said.

"I wish I would also win most of my battles, if not all."  
"That is something you would have to work hard for on your own in the future. But right now, you've got five kids who are willing to risk everything to win this war with you." I replied.

"Thank you, Denise." He said.

"Don't mention it. Just stop worrying about it, okay? The important thing is that we've seen the last of that witch." I said. "And about the almost dying part? Believe me, I'm used to it. Peter and Edmund and the others... we all are. It comes with the job. One of these days I just might get sick of near-death encounters." I said. I thought it was funny. _Hahahaha._

We went to join the others just as the sun was about to set.


	12. Chapter 11: Telmarines

**author's notes**: hi, I've uploaded once again! :D Actually, i have written up to chapter 16 of this story and all that has been in my stash since probably December, but i didn't think they were worth publishing. Also, i had problems developing the plot. Well it's all worked out now ( i mean hopefully) and I've gotten around to editing the chapters I've finished AND i'm almost done with chapter 17. Readers will have to wait, though, because I'm not yet that confident with what I've written. Haha.

Also I've been getting reviews and private messages from you guys, and i gotta tell you this right now: this story is really going to be different from the manhater. It's a whole lot darker, I think, and more serious than the first. I know most of you liked the manhater probably because of the fluff and stuff, but i really want to focus on other things in this one. There wouldn't be as much romance and comedy as in the first, because i think i write differently now. But also because all this drama and angst is really quite necessary for my ending which, by the way, i have already mapped out. Actually, I couldn't bear the suspense and wrote down the last two chapters already- so i'm left with this hole in the middle. haha. So i hope you bear with me as i painstakingly try to work out this story as best as i could. thanks, and enjoy! :D

* * *

Chapter 11: Telmarines

Two days later...

"The Telmarines have been spotted somewhere not far from here." Peter said.  
"What?" I asked rather stupidly.

"They're here in the forest. With Miraz and the whole council. Our lookout saw them. They went as far as to set up camp." Peter said. He was pacing around the room.

_Oh, crap._

"What do we do now?" Susan asked.  
"We have to stall some way. We can't go to war just yet." I said.

"How?"  
"I don't know." I answered. I seriously had no idea what we could do.  
"There has to be some way." Edmund said.  
"When do you suppose they will attack?" Lucy asked.  
"I'll be surprised if they wait a week before they do." I said.  
"She's right." Peter said. "They will attack very soon, but the thing is we do not know when exactly."

"Might I suggest something?" Caspian spoke. We all turned to look at him.  
"Telmarines duel for sport. Why not propose a duel against Miraz? I'm sure he will accept, because he is a very proud man. And if you say that the council is with him is true, there is no way he would not accept the offer."

"How's that going to help?" Edmund asked.  
"It's going to buy us some time." Caspian answered.  
"But what if he doesn't accept?" Susan asked.  
"Why don't we make it into a sort of deal?" I said.  
"What do you mean?" Peter asked me.  
"I mean why don't we offer him a deal that is too good to pass up? Let's say that if he wins in the duel, Narnia surrenders. But if we win, the Telmarines will leave our lands and we shall spare them the fight." I said.

"So you want us to surrender without a fight if ever we lose in this duel." Edmund stated.  
"And Denise, I don't think Miraz will follow through with this deal if they lose." Peter told me.  
" I know he won't." I said. "But this will buy us time. Say that we schedule the duel in two week's time. Or if that's too much, at least a whole week before now."

"But won't it be too obvious for him that we are just stalling?" Edmund asked. "And if he figures that out, then I'm sure he will not accept and attack us as soon as soon as possible."

"It is. It is too obvious. And if he is smart, like what Caspian here has told me, and like what we've seen the other day when we attacked them, then I am sure he will figure it out." I said.  
"But you heard Caspian. He is a proud man. Plus, the council is with him. I'm guessing he will not accept at first, but with a little 'persuasion', I'm sure he will."

"I'm not sure I understand how that is going to work." Susan said.  
"I don't understand it either." Peter agreed.  
"Put yourself in his shoes. You are a usurper. The throne is not _yet_ rightfully yours, and the council needs a little more convincing before you can fully establish your power." I explained.

"He would look like a coward in front of the council if he rejects the offer. They would think that he is scared to fight us." Edmund caught on.

"Exactly." I said approvingly.

"I'm quite certain my uncle would not say 'no'." Caspian strengthened my case.

Peter nodded. "Then that's what we're going to do. There is no question as to who will fight him- I'll do it. Any objections?" he looked around. No one said anything. He nodded again.

Again, our plan wasn't much. We've been stalling all this time, and we haven't thought of the real battle plan yet. But it was a good start. At least we'll be able to buy more time to prepare.

The letter was written. It was agreed upon that the duel be scheduled in a week's time. By then, we are hoping we could've gained an advantage over them. Edmund was to deliver the note, and he was to be accompanied by one of the generals- a centaur.

"I'm coming too." I said.  
"That won't be necessary." Edmund said. "We're just going to deliver this note anyway."  
"You have to persuade him to accept, don't you?" I told him.  
"I think I can do that, thanks." He answered.  
"No, I think Denise is right. Take her with you. We know what she's capable of doing anyway." Peter said.

_Ha._ I thought to myself. _I win._  
Aside from helping with the persuading and all, I wanted to see for myself what the Telmarines were like. It was no simple curiosity. I just might gain some information we could use.

Morning came. I got ready to go as soon as I woke up. Edmund found me dressed in chain mail the female centaurs have made with a sword by my side.

"We won't be fighting them today, you know." He said.  
"Yeah. But the military adviser has to look tough, doesn't she?" I said with half a grin.  
"I rather you won't come with us, Denise." He told me.  
"Why not? We're just gonna deliver a note, you said so yourself."  
"There's always the possibility that things will get ugly. We're going to the enemy, not to an old friend."  
"So I'm coming." I said simply.  
"Haven't you had enough accidents already? Do you want a new scar to add to the one on your shoulder?" He asked me.  
"First of all, I've had just one accident, Your Highness. And stop arguing with me, we're supposed to be on the same side." I answered.  
"I'll stop arguing with you if you would listen to me." He told me. I rolled my eyes.  
"I listen to you all the time, Edmund. I just choose not to do what you want me to do."  
"Is there no chance at all that I would be able to persuade you to just stay safe here?" he asked me exasperatedly.  
"Is that a rhetorical question?" I asked back laughingly. He eyed me intently and I sighed.  
"You know me well enough. I don't have to answer that." He sighed dejectedly. He should have known he wasn't going to win the argument.

Soon afterwards we set out on our journey. The Telmarines were close to our camp. Almost too close, in my opinion. When we arrived, I almost lost all hope of winning the war. There were thousands of soldiers, it seemed to me.

"Damn, there must be five soldiers to every Narnian who can fight here." I whispered to Edmund.

The troops eyed us warily, especially the centaur, Glenstorm. When he turned to stare back at the soldiers, they all seemed to move back, no one willing to meet his gaze. I even saw one point a finger in our direction and mutter a few words, sort of like what superstitious people do to ward off evil. Our friend grinned widely and told us, "They are great in number, but weak at heart."

We saw Miraz standing with another man, a general of his army, I assumed, and they were looking at us. "Let me do the talking first, okay?" Edmund whispered.  
"Sure thing." I answered.

"Miraz, usurper of the Telmarine throne, I am King Edmund the Just, and with me is Lady Denise the Wise, our Military Adviser and Glenstorm, our general. We come with a proposition from my brother, High King Peter the Magnificent." Edmund said.

Lady Denise the Wise? Wherever did that come from? I would have laughed at him if things weren't so serious.

"A proposition, you say? What is it about?" he answered rather pompously.  
"It is a proposition concerning not only you but the entire council of your people, and we'd rather discuss it when they are present." Edmund said.  
_  
_A few moments later, we were directed towards a tent where all the council members were present.  
Miraz sat in the midst of them and said, "Now you have all of us here. Let us hear this proposition you talked about."

And as Edmund read the letter aloud, I eyed each and every one of them. They were all intently listening to what Edmund was saying. Some were raising their eyebrows in indignation. Miraz' face was unfathomable as he listened. But what really caught my attention was how two people, members of Miraz' council, kept on looking at each other with meaningful stares. It was as if they were agreeing on something. I thought it was odd.

Edmund finished reading and waited for an answer.  
"Tell me, Prince Edmund-" Miraz began.  
"King." Edmund butted in. "That would be _King_ Edmund."  
I fought the urge to laugh. Edmund sure knows how to assert himself.  
Miraz was slightly caught off guard but he soon regained composure.  
"What makes you think I will accept this proposition of your brother?"  
"Is there any reason why you wouldn't?" Edmund asked back.  
"We both know very well that my army can crush your people in a single night." The telmarine replied. I thought it was high time that I asserted myself as well.

"Don't you think you've underestimated us too much already?" I said, and their eyes shifted to me.  
"Two weeks ago, Narnians weren't even supposed to exist. The Kings and Queens and I were just characters in your history books that lived and reigned 1300 years ago."

"You can tell your brother thank you for the generous offer he made in his proposition, but I am not interested in single combat."

_And this is where my work really starts, _I thought to myself.

"What's the matter," I told him. "Scared of losing against an opponent half your age?"  
I saw something shift in him, and I knew he was in the bag. It was almost too easy.  
"It is not a matter of courage, miss. I refuse simply because I know we can defeat you in a battle."  
"So you're _bravely_ refusing to fight a swordsman half your age." Edmund stated.

"You would have our support, Your Majesty, if you choose not to fight." The man who I caught sharing looks with the other person said.  
"Of course, we understand... King Peter's reputation in the battlefield is quite legendary." Someone added.  
"Our large army would provide a perfect excuse to avoid this duel they speak of-"

I looked at Edmund and he seemed just as baffled as I was. What was going on? I understand that the council is egging on Miraz to accept the proposition, but why?

"I said it is not a matter of courage!" Miraz hissed at them.  
"Oh, but it clearly is, isn't it? Anyone can see you do not wish to fight Peter because you fear you might lose. You wouldn't want to suffer that humiliation, of course. There can be no other reason why you won't accept." I said half laughingly.

I felt Edmund's eyes at the back of my head. It was almost as if he was warning me to back off.

I really missed this game.

"Better risk the loss of some men than risk the humiliation, My Lord." the person I've been watching all this time said. Honestly, this people are quite tactless. I'm sure Miraz is aware that they are playing on him, trying to humiliate him.

"Enough." Miraz thundered. He looked irately at his council, and then turned to us.

"I shall meet your brother on the given time and place in the letter. Make sure his sword is mightier than his pen."

I looked at Edmund, and saw triumph shining in his eyes.

We win this time.

* * *

Please review. I want to know what you think.


	13. Chapter 12: Reminiscing

Just a short sweet chapter on edmund and denise for those who miss what they had during The Manhater. i miss writing like that too. HAHAHA. :D enjoy. :)

* * *

Chapter 12: Reminiscing

"How did it go?" Susan asked the moment we arrived back at camp.  
" Miraz will meet you in a week's time." Edmund said. Everyone beamed at the news.  
"That gives us more time to think of our strategy." Peter said.  
"Which reminds me," I said. "No one told me Telmarines were superstitious." I turned to Caspian.  
Edmund and I then proceeded to relate to them that almost comical incident with Glenstorm and the troops.  
"Are all Telmarines superstitious?" I asked Caspian.  
"Well, we have our myths about the Narnians, you see. We don't ever really discuss them, but Telmarines see Narnians as evil spirits roaming in the forest."  
"They should talk." Reepicheep said. Someone laughed.

"Interesting." I said.  
"What are you thinking?" Peter asked me.  
After a while, I said,  
"They're scared of us, Pete. And scared men tremble so much they can't hold their swords straight in a battle."  
They waited for me to clarify my point.

"I was thinking, why don't we feed their imaginative minds and give them a good scare? Send a couple of minotaurs to stalk some of the roaming Telmarines and roar in their faces. Superstition is quite powerful, you know. When we meet them in the battlefield, they'll be so scared of us 'forest monsters' they'd tremble at the sight of us." I explained.

"You know, that could work." Peter agreed after a while.  
"But do we have time? I mean, we have to prepare a lot of things still."  
"We have a whole week. And we can only prepare so much- " I trailed off. My plan was starting to sound comical to me. _Scaring the soldiers? Oh, please.  
_"I guess it's worth giving a try." Peter said.

"The enemy is scared of us. Make sure that we give them sufficient reason to be." It seemed to me that everyone was smirking and grinning. It does wonders to know that you are feared.

Moments later, message was sent to us from one of the lookouts that a few soldiers were seen roaming our part of the woods.  
"Let's try my theory, shall we?" I said.

It wasn't difficult to find a couple of minotaurs who were willing to do the task. Before we sent them out to meet our experimental specimens, Peter told them,

"Remember; look as scary as you can be."  
"It would help if you would foam a little in the mouth." I added with a wink. I had to laugh at the idea.

The funny thing was that it actually worked. When the minotaurs returned, we were all outside. The troops were training and I was just watching them with Lucy. They told us that they hid behind a couple of trees first, and then jumped in front of the soldiers roaring and, like what I suggested, foaming a little in the mouth (insert hearty laugh from me and the Pevensies here). The Telmarines scampered away, shouting, "demons!" and "monsters!".

I couldn't stop laughing. Glenstorm was right: _great in number, weak at heart._  
When the troops heard the story, they cheered as if the war has already been won. It gave their confidence a boost. At that moment I was sure all of them would perform amazingly in the battle.  
They laughed among themselves at the cowardice of the enemy.

"I'd have to say this is probably your brightest idea yet." Peter told me.  
"I should've thought of it during that war with Calormen, don't you think?" I replied laughingly.

Night fell. The troops made a huge bonfire. Then they began howling and roaring and growling into the night. It appeared as if a bunch of wild animals were having a feast.

"It's loud enough to be heard at the enemy's camp." Edmund shouted in my ear.  
I nodded. "I think they are enjoying the 'monster' bit a little too much." I shouted back.  
Dinner was arranged to be taken outside on that night. The fauns, with their beautiful Narnian music, danced around the fire.

I sat a little far from them, because the noise was a little overwhelming for me. I watched them and was contented.

"Why aren't you joining in all that howling?" I turned. It was Edmund.  
"I did. But my eardrums can't handle that much noise." I answered.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked me.  
"Not at all." He sat beside me on the forest floor.  
"I've never seen these people like this before... looks like they're taking it to heart to be as wild as they could. " He told me. I laughed.  
"It's really fun, though." I said. "I missed this sort of thing."

"Yeah, we don't have this sort of party in England." He agreed flippantly.  
"You remember that time when Mr. Tumnus invited us to a celebration he had with his friends in his home?" I asked him.  
"You mean that time Peter got so intoxicated he kept on laughing for no reason?" he replied. I chuckled.  
"Like you were any better." I told him. "I thought you were going to faint back then."  
"Yeah, Susan was so embarrassed of us that night." He reminisced with a grin on his face.  
"And Lucy was actually contemplating whether she should give each of you a drop from her cordial already." I added.

"What about that party when you slipped in front of King Lune in Archenland?" he taunted.  
"I don't remember anything like that." I feigned innocence.  
"Want me to remind you?" He began. "You were holding a flute of wine and were walking towards Pete and I, and then you-"  
"Okay, stop!" I butted in. He laughed. I slapped his arm.  
We talked in this way for a long time, thinking of all those crazy times we had back then. I laughed and laughed until my sides ached.

"Those were good times," I said.  
"Yes, they were." Edmund answered. Our eyes met.

I cleared my throat.  
"It's getting late. We should probably turn in now." I said, standing up. It must have been the shadows of the fire playing on his face, but I thought I saw a pang of sadness in him for a split second. He stood up as well and we walked in silence.

"Tomorrow we begin discussing our plans for battle." I said conversationally.  
"You have any ideas so far?" he asked me. I nodded.  
"Yeah." I replied. "But I don't know if it could help us much _yet_."  
"Peter and I have talked about the field plan with Caspian already. He's got a good brain in his head."  
"He'll make an excellent leader, I'm sure." I agreed.  
"Then we'll be returning to our ordinary lives again." He said. I looked at him for a while. I found it funny that he actually brought that up.  
"Supposing we all make it out of this mess alive, you mean." I told him. It was his turn to look.  
"What makes you think we won't?" he asked.  
"Oh c'mon, Ed. This is war. You know very well how it is."  
"Well, we will get out of this alive." He said. "At least, I am certain you will."  
"What does that even mean?" I asked him.  
"It means you will get home safe. "  
"And you?"  
"Depends." He shrugged.  
"On what?" I asked.  
"On how the battle ends up, of course." I eyed him strangely.  
"And if the battle does not end in our favour... where does that leave us?" I asked.  
"It will." He said confidently.  
"I'm glad at least one of us is certain about that." I replied.  
"We will win this, Denise. And when we do, you'll be free to go." He said, looking me in the eyes.

I didn't know what to make of what he said. I stared at him for a long time waiting for a clarification.  
He shrugged it off. By that time we have reached the quarters.  
"I'll see you tomorrow." He told me. I nodded. He turned to go.

I didn't really want to ponder him and his moods, so I forced myself to sleep.


	14. Chapter 13: Battle Strategies

Author's notes: I just wanted to say a few words to those who are following this story. First, thank you for taking time to read it. :)  
I really appreciate you telling me what you think is missing in the story. It's been raised that you guys are not being able to connect with Denise the way you used to in "The Manhater". I actually was happy about that, haha. Because you guys noticed how seemingly aloft Denise is getting in all that's going around her. In the way she seems to simply narrate what is going on around her, i was trying to emphasize the change in her character. You probably noticed i don't give out much insight into her thoughts now, because that's how she has been herself. I mean she hasn't been paying attention to her own insights. She doesn't listen to herself thinking, if it's not about the war. I really wasn't planning to tell you about that, but just so you won't get confused. sooo. :D

* * *

Chapter 13: Battle Strategies

The next day was spent discussing field plans for the day of battle. I felt queasy about going through all those things again, but I knew we had no choice but to prepare. I know only too well that the fate of the remaining Narnians depend largely on this… on us. I absolutely have no right to mess it up. The meeting was adjourned around midday and training resumed. I had been joining the troops in training as well. I asked Susan to teach me archery and was getting pretty good progress at it.

All the while I was trying to figure out what I saw at the enemy's camp. Those two members of Miraz's council really had my interest piqued. They seemed to really want Miraz to accept the offer we made. The way they provoked him into accepting… it got my mind buzzing. I have not told anyone about it, but I think I know what's going on. And I had a mind to find out for sure. I planned to steal into the Telmarine camp again and try to learn more about those two lords.

I decided to go back to their camp the next morning. I got up as soon as I woke up and got ready. I picked up my quiver and headed towards the woods. I ran stealthily, hoping no one would see me and ask where I was going.

I was deep in the forest when I realized that I didn't really made an effort to remember the exact location of the enemies' camp. But never mind, I'm sure I'll find it, I thought.

I continued walking for some minutes. I finally had to admit that I was getting lost. How wonderful. _This is a really well thought-of plan_, I sardonically reprimanded myself. I heard footprints. Instinctively, I got on my knees to hide.

I saw three Telmarines approaching. Bullshit. This is just great.

Slowly, I moved back. I thought of what I was going to do if they saw me. Do I fight? But there's the truce. Wouldn't they respect the truce?

Suddenly, a hand was placed in front of my mouth and an arm snaked around my waist. I was about to cry out when I heard a familiar voice whisper in my ear,

"Don' . ."

Slowly, we moved further back and hid behind a tree. He removed his hand from my mouth.

"Stay here." He whispered.

He made the move to stand up and I saw his hand reach out for his sword. I tug at his other hand.

"No, Edmund." I hissed through gritted teeth.

"The truce." I reminded him.

"They're going kill us anyway if they find us." He told me. I shook my head.

"Let them attack first. We fight to defend, then." I told him. He looked at me for a long time, and finally crouched down beside me.

I peeped from behind the tree. The Telmarines didn't seem to be looking for us. If anything, they actually seemed bored. Minutes ticked by but they finally left. I heaved a sigh of relief. Once they were gone, Edmund said,

"What were you thinking, sneaking off like that?"I chose not to answer.

"What are you doing here? Did you follow me?"

"I went in search for you the moment that faun told me he saw you enter the forest alone. You're lucky I arrived in time before those soldiers saw you." He hissed.

He just has to arrive in time to save the day every time… every freaking time. I sighed.

"Alright, listen. I have to get to the Telmarine camp." I said in whispers.  
"You were intending to go there? And you went by yourself? What the hell for?" he hissed. His face was turning red. I knew he had so many questions, but I had no time and no patience to answer each one.  
"I'll explain later, but right now I need help." I told him.

"Can you help me find their camp?" His eyes widened.

"You went here on your own without knowing where their camp is? Are you barking mad?"

"I thought I'll be able to find it, okay? But these woods look all the same to me." I answered.

He stared at me with an incredulous look on his face.

"You're completely insane." He muttered. He moved ahead and motioned for me to follow him.

"Remember that if anything goes wrong, this is all your fault. _And_ you owe me an explanation." He told me.

And with that, we stealthily moved towards the Telmarine camp.

We finally saw the camp. I was very nervous the whole time but tried not to show it to Edmund. It was my idea after all.

"This is crazy. If they find us, we're dead." He muttered.

I moved ahead of him, crouching. I turned to face him and tried to show him how serious I was about our little task.

"So we have to make sure they won't find us, don't we?" I half walked-half and half-crawled around the bushes, trying to find my two targets. I ignored the rapid beating of my heart and tried to stay calm and focused.

After a while, I saw one of the men I was looking for. He was alone. Edmund told me his name was Sopespian. He was one of the lords of the council. Sopespian was pacing and seemed a little stressed out. I moved a little closer, wary of little twigs that could break under my feet and give us away.

If my instincts are correct, he won't be alone for a long time.

And so, we waited. Edmund kept a watchful eye in case someone finds us snooping. But I felt confident that no one would. Maybe I just felt really lucky that day, I don't know. I focused my attention on Sopespian.

Soon enough, someone arrived.

"Just as I expected." I muttered. It was General Glozelle, the other man I was looking for. He kept on glancing behind his back as he approached his colleague. Edmund leaned in closer.

"What's going on?" he asked. I did not let my eyes wander from the two Telmarines.

"Remember what we saw when we first came here?" I whispered softly.

"These two men seemed so eager to have Miraz accept our proposal. And I think I know why."

"…Lord Montoya is hesitating, you see." Glozelle was saying. Sopespian scowled and I strived to hear more.

"… If we do not get support from him, this might not go as planned, Sopespian."

"Montoya is weak; a coward!" Sopespian said in hushed, angry tones.

"Speak to him again. Tell him that when Miraz falls, as he surely will, he will be dragged along if he does not make up his mind already. The time is drawing nearer, Glozelle. After the duel, Miraz shall see who truly deserves to be king. Soon we shall have the throne. "

_I knew it._ I said to myself. I knew there was something fishy about them. I turned to Edmund, who looked completely perplexed.

"C'mon. I heard what I needed to hear."

"What was-"

"I'll explain later." We crept silently among the bushes. Edmund had me go first so that he could keep a guard behind us.

Once we got away from the Telmarine camp, he walked beside me.

"Now can you explain what's going on?"

"Sopespian and Glozelle are planning treachery against Miraz." I told him.

" That's why they were egging Miraz on to accept the duel with Peter the other day. It's not just to humiliate him- they have something planned. They're trying to steal the throne from Miraz. I don't know for certain how they're going to do it, but I do know that the duel between Peter and Miraz is a major part of their plan."

"And what we heard a moment ago was about that Montoya joining them in their plans." Edmund said, thinking. I nodded.

"It seems they do not have enough supporters _yet_. And they have all the remaining days before the duel to get the support they need." I thought loudly.

"But what do you think are they planning to do on the day of the duel?" he asked me.

"All I'm certain of is it's not going to be good. I'm scared of what they might be planning. For all we know, they could be setting us up for some sort of trap." I murmured.

"C'mon, we have to tell Pete and the others about this." Edmund said.

When we arrived, we immediately conversed with the others about what we found out. When Edmund and I finished narrating our story, there was a stunned silence.

"I'm worried that Sopespian might be setting us up and put us in an even more critical situation, Peter." I said.

"It seems to me that they have indeed set us up." Peter answered. "But we cannot call the duel off. If we do that, they'd attack us as soon as possible."

"I know, but what if what they're planning would be even harder to sort out than outright war?" I asked.

"What could be possibly harder than outright war, Denise?"

I had no ready answer for his question. I But I was sure as hell that we were going to get played. I just knew it. But there really was no way to avoid being played without provoking the all-out war, one war I'm not sure we could win.

"What do you want to do, Pete?" I asked him.

"I want to push through with the duel. Quite frankly, I don't think we have any other choice but to do so." He answered.

"Think of it, Pete. Even if we push through with the duel, we will eventually have to fight the war. I mean, you can't expect the Telmarines to honor the agreement after hearing about Sopespian." I told him.

"A few days ago you were so eager to avoid this war for as long as possible. This was your idea, remember? " Peter said.

"Yeah, but that was before I found out about Sopespian! You know I want to prevent losing Narnians to battle as much as you do, but if we let Sopespian go on with whatever he's planning we could lose this war altogether." I said exasperatedly.

"What do you have planned?" He asked me.

"You want us to call off the duel, and then what? Wage war?"

There was nothing I could say.

"Do you think we could win a war, at this point?"He again asked me.

"Denise, I know you doubt the chances of us winning a war. That's why you've wanted to put it off all these weeks, right? And as much as I want to prove you wrong, I saw the size of the enemy too. We don't stand a chance against their numbers. "

"I know-" I cut in. He continued.

"The only hope I have right now is that if I succeed in killing Miraz, the remaining leaders will fight amongst themselves and will eventually fall into disarray."

"And if you kill Miraz in the duel and the leaders still push through with the war? What then?" I asked him.

"We put the field plan you and Caspian has worked on to action. We won't have a choice."

"I think everyone should have a say at this." Edmund suggested.

"Do we push through with the duel or call it off?"


	15. Chapter 14: Thoughts

Chapter 14: Thoughts

It was agreed upon that we push through with the duel. Everyone agreed that it was better to risk being played than trigger an all-out war. For some reason they think the Telmarines might actually honor the deal and surrender if Miraz is killed by Peter. I couldn't convince myself to think that way too. If Miraz loses in the duel, I'm pretty sure Sopespian and Glozelle will do something to turn the tables and push through with the war. And of course there is the issue of Peter losing. If he does, although I have great faith in him, do we just surrender? At that point I had to admit to myself that we were pretty screwed already. I couldn't see how we could win the war with an enemy as numerous as the Telmarines. The tricks we've been playing on the superstitious soldiers can't really take us that far.

"Are you alright?" I turned to see who it was. I left the others and went to sit by myself after the vote. Not that I was a sour loser, but I wanted time on my own to think.  
Edmund sat beside me and said,  
"Look, I know you don't agree with what has been decided-"  
"It's okay." I cut him off. "We had a vote and Peter won it fairly."  
There was a long pause.

"Then you walked away without a word." He said.  
"I'm just worried, that's all." I told him.  
"We all are." He said.

"We can't prepare for whatever Sopespian has in mind because we don't know what he's planning. Not that stating the obvious would actually help…" I trailed off.

"We can do this, Denise." Was all he said. I looked at him.  
"What if we can't?" I asked. "Can you imagine what would happen to the remaining Narnians if we lose this war?"

"You know, it doesn't really help to be thinking so negatively." He told me.  
"Try being realistic." I scoffed. "You _saw_ the size of that army."  
"I know. But I guess we'll just have to do the best that we can and hope that help will come when we need it." He said.  
"Help from whom?"

"I don't know. From Aslan, maybe." He answered, with a calculating look at me. I turned my eyes away.  
"If he had any plans to help at all, he would be here by now." I said stiffly.  
"You can't really know that. He's a not a tame Lion after all."  
"Look around you, Edmund. Do you really believe what you're telling me? Don't you see what has happened to Narnia? Don't you see what has become of _his_ people? I don't think he gives a damn about this."

"Sometimes, I feel that way too." He told me.  
"But then I remember all those other times that he came to our aid when we needed him. And somehow, I feel certain that he does care. That he's near."

"You all have so much faith in him." I murmured.  
"And I guess that's because he has never let you down."

There was a long, awkward silence between us.

"And you think that he let _you_ down all those years back?" he asked.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." I replied, even though I knew exactly what he was saying.

"You know I don't understand why he made us remember, too." He ignored my pretensions.  
"But what baffles me even more," He looked me straight in the eyes. "is why you wanted us to forget in the first place."

"Edmund, there is no point in talking about this. It's been more than a century-" I said.  
"We've left this hanging for far too long. Can't you at least be kind enough to help me understand?"

A long silenced ensued.

"I did it because I thought it was the best for all of you, okay? I thought if you forgot about me you wouldn't have to deal with what I had to go through." I said with a hint of exasperation in my voice. I didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Did you think I would've wanted to just forget it?" He asked me. "Because it would've been easier for me if I knew that you had no choice but to leave, you know. But when I found out that you wanted me to forget everything… I felt like you just wanted to erase _everything_."

"Why would I want to erase everything? Those years I spent at the Cair were the best memories I have-"

"So why did you want us to forget?" He pursued. I suppressed a sigh of annoyance at him.  
"I already told you, Ed. I really had no other reason to do what I did. I was only thinking of you. There is nothing else for me to say. Why won't you believe me?"

We were both quiet for a while. He broke the silence and said,

"It didn't really work, you know. Even before we remembered everything things at the Cair just weren't right. You've been part of our lives for too long that even when we couldn't remember anything about you, there was something in the atmosphere of the whole place that seemed to remind us of you. And it drove us crazy, because we couldn't figure out what was different when you left. It drove _me _crazy."

"But not nearly as crazy as when I remembered everything." He laughed bitterly.  
"You have no idea what hell I went through. I can't even begin to explain how tortured I was, thinking that you left without telling me, without wanting to tell me. And you wanted me out of your life so bad you even took every memory I have of you."

"Did you think I had the easy part of it?" I retorted.  
"Did you think I was able to continue with my life like Narnia never happened? If you went through hell, well I did too."

"You know there were times when I wished I asked Aslan to make _me_ forget, just so I don't have to deal with my fucked up emotions every single night, just so I couldn't torture myself by thinking of you."

"It wasn't my fault that you had to go through what you did, Edmund. As a matter of fact that was precisely what I was trying to protect you from when I wished you would forget about me, so don't blame me! Your Great Lion must think it's really funny to torture you."

"Aslan wouldn't make us remember if He thought it would do us more harm than good."  
"For crying out loud, wake up!" I cried.  
"What will it take for you to finally realize he isn't what you take him for? Don't you see what he has done to us, Edmund? Don't you see how he has been playing _me_?"

"He brought me to Narnia once and placed my life in danger countless times! And just when I was already happy living with you, he comes and tells me I didn't belong here. Once wasn't enough for him, apparently, because he hurls me right back into this godforsaken place, to solve a problem he can remedy on his own if he wanted to, just when I've finally reconstructed my life! "

"And what about you and your family? You weren't a part of Narnia either, he just hurled you here too! And any of you could get killed for the sake of his people. Don't you see? We're all just pawns in his twisted games."

"You've changed too much. The Denise I knew would never talk about Aslan like that." He said.  
"I grew up, why don't you give it a try?" I shot back. He shook his head. He didn't believe a thing I said.

"Damn you for being so stupid, Edmund." I said coldly. "And damn your lion for putting me in this fucking mess." I was beside myself with anger. I stood up and stormed out of the place.

It is completely pointless to talk about what has long been over. And it is absolutely cruel to bring it up over and over again. I tried hard to kill the memory, but Edmund just wouldn't allow it. At that moment I felt everything I have tried hard to suppress all those years again, just as strong and just as sharp as it has always been. Tears betrayed me. I was so pissed and frustrated at everything, I felt like was going insane. I've been careful not to linger much on those thoughts and memories all the time I've been in Narnia. I've been trying to keep myself aloft because I knew it was dangerous if I thought of things from the past.

Edmund just ripped open every wound that I have tried hard to heal. He did it slowly, mercilessly with his words. I've had enough. I've had enough of everything being out of my control, even my own feelings and thoughts.

I've had enough and I am not going to tolerate it any longer.


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's Note PLEASE READ**: Hello! Yes I did update the story, this is real. I know it has been terribly long; i apologize.

Unfortunately, i cannot tell you that i will be coming back for good this time; quite the contrary, i will not be coming back at all. If you check my profile here u/1927841/aravis-riddle , you will find that I've explained it all.

I have uploaded the** drafts** of the chapters of this storythat I have kept in my computer. the original plan was I would get back to them when time allowed it and work on it until i finish the story. unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. I don't have the time to write down the full-fledged chapters nor edit the ones i have worked on already. So here is what i thought i would do.

from here on you will find:

a. chapters 15 and 16

b. an outline of what was supposed to happen in the story ( im terribly sorry about this, i don't have the time to write them as chapters) and

c. the two final chapters

anyway, i only uploaded all these files because i kind of felt bad about leaving it the way it was, and because i felt bad about leaving you guys without a proper ending. enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 15: The Plan

I knew I was being played. Like what I told Edmund, I knew that I was just another pawn in Aslans's game. And the sooner his game is over, the sooner I get to go home. I don't need Narnia and all its drama. Besides, it is not like not helping the Narnians is an option. No matter how unreal and distant this world will be to me once I return to mine, it is my world right now. And these Narnians are not gonna die because I wasn't responsible enough to do my part for them. I hated how I knew how I was being used and yet I continued to play that role. I couldn't abandon it, couldn't relieve myself from the responsibility… which is really pretty fucked up.

So I did what a righteous person would do: I swallowed my pride and focused on performing my role- my role as their military adviser. By midnight I came up with something, but it required so much from me that I thought more than twice about it. I acknowledged the fact that I was once again putting myself at risk for Narnians. I was being a martyr for people who couldn't really care less about me, for I am not one of their own. I used to be, maybe, but this time I was as alien as anyone could be. But what other choice do I have? I repeated to myself that the sooner it was all over, the sooner I could go home. By morning I decided I was going to do it, be it suicidal or not.

I got up and went about looking for Peter. I saw Edmund with Lucy, but I was careful not to look at him and acted as indifferent as possible.

"Can I talk to you for a while?" I said, when I found Peter.  
"Sure, what is it about?" He answered. I looked around, making sure that there wasn't anyone there.  
"Walk with me." I said, and motioned for him to follow me. When I was certain no one would be able to find us, I stopped.

"I know what we can do to counter whatever Sopespian is planning." I began.  
"What?"  
"Listen: if we can inform Miraz of what his men are planning against him, Sopespian would be crushed before he can gain power. Miraz wouldn't let anyone challenge him, he is sure to have the traitors imprisoned or killed." I said.  
"How can we do that?" Peter asked me. "Shouldn't we be discussing this with the others?"

"I've spent the whole night thinking about this. And I am certain that I am the only one who can do it. This could be our only chance now. And the reason why I want to discuss this with you and you alone is because I know the others would not agree to this. They would make such a fuss over it. But I know you, and I know that you know there are difficult things we must undertake to win." I was building it up just so I can get Peter to really agree to what I had planned.

I slowly and carefully related to him what I wanted to do. I watched his face and saw at once that he wasn't buying it.

"No, it's too dangerous. I'm not going to put your life on the line." He said.  
"I have to do this." I said, steadily looking him in the eyes. I was determined to win this argument.  
"You could get killed!"  
"I know this is risky to the point of being stupid, but you can't deny the fact that it could work."  
"No. I'm not letting you."  
"I know I can pull this off! You know me; you know what I'm capable of. Trust me, Pete."  
"But what if you bungle somehow? You could die, I'm telling you! I'm not going to risk you on this, Denise." He said.  
"So you'd rather lose the war, is that it?"  
He turned away.  
"Look, I know I could die if I fail, alright? Do you think I am dumb enough to volunteer this if I'm not certain I could manage it, with my life on the line? We both know we are here to help these Narnians, so let me do my job."  
"Your job is to help in planning battle strategies, Denise."  
"You know that isn't what I meant."  
"My siblings will hate me if they find out I let you. Edmund will kill me."

"Peter, you are a king. You know as well as I do that stuff like this are necessary. I _have_ to do this." I repeated. I looked at him.

"There must be some other way-"  
"The duel is four days away from us! We're like sitting ducks here, waiting for the hunters to hunt us down. There is no other way."  
"But what if they don't believe you?"  
"They will. I have it all planned. Besides, I have more than enough time to work it out."  
"I just can't let you do this, Denise. We'll think of something else. But I'm not letting you carry this one out." Peter said with finality.

I shut my mouth and walked away, acting pissed. The important thing is that Peter knew. Whether he agrees or not is beside the point. I wasn't seeking his permission, anyway. He should have known that he won't be able to stop me. I decided to put my plan into action on the same day.

"Denise." I was lost in my thoughts and was about to begin some preparations when Edmund called me. "What were you discussing with Peter?" he asked.  
"Nothing that should concern you." I answered icily. I hadn't forgotten about the night before.

"It seemed like you were arguing." He commented.  
"What, are you going to check on everything I do?" I spat.  
"Whatever we talked about, it has nothing to do with you. So leave it. And stop asking about everything I do, they are none of your business." I turned my back on him. He gripped my arm, stopping me from walking away.

"Will you please talk properly to me? I thought we had a truce." He said. I freed my arm from his grip.  
"Oh, and I thought you broke that truce last night." I said angrily. He ran his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated.

"Look, the only reason I ask you a lot of questions is because I couldn't afford having you in trouble or anything. I don't want you getting hurt."

There he was again, with his melting words. I would've been affected by his concern… but times have changed. I wasn't about to let myself fall into that. There are more pressing matters I need to take care of. With a tone of finality in my voice, I locked my eyes on his and told him,

"Stop acting like I am your responsibility. Because I am not." I walked away and shook off the horrible feeling building at the pit of my stomach.


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Note PLEASE READ**: Hello! Yes I did update the story, this is real. I know it has been terribly long; i apologize.

Unfortunately, i cannot tell you that i will be coming back for good this time; quite the contrary, i will not be coming back at all. If you check my profile here** u/1927841/aravis-riddle** , you will find that I've explained it all.

I have uploaded the **drafts** of the chapters of this story that I have kept in my computer. the original plan was I would get back to them when time allowed it and work on it until i finish the story. unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. I don't have the time to write down the full-fledged chapters nor edit the ones i have worked on already. So here is what i thought i would do.

from here on you will find:

a. chapters 15 and 16

b. an outline of what was supposed to happen in the story ( im terribly sorry about this, i don't have the time to write them as chapters) and

c. the two final chapters

anyway, i only uploaded all these files because i kind of felt bad about leaving it the way it was, and because i felt bad about leaving you guys without a proper ending. enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 16: Obstinacy

Peter watched Denise's retreating back as she stormed away from him. He had just rejected her idea, and it was a first. It was, as always, a brilliant plan, but it was too risky. He knew Denise was right. It could work. And if it does, it will be a great advantage for them. It could, as a matter of fact, might even be enough to ensure their victory. But what his military adviser has suggested involved far too many dangers to her own safety, and Peter knew better than put her at risk. He didn't permit her to do it because as certain as he was that she could pull it off, he knew it could cost them her life. Denise was like a sister to him, and he knew his sisters felt the same way for her. And Edmund- Peter knew about how his brother felt. He didn't have to tell him anything. He could just see it in his eyes, every time he caught him looking at Denise. Aslan forbid anything happen to Denise. There must be some other way. They had four days before the duel; that should be ample time to work something out.

He saw her talking to Lucy. He approached them and tried to talk to her cheerily. She snapped out sarcastic answers with a smile designed for him to understand her anger at him and at the same time, keep Lucy in the dark as to what they had talked about. Peter understood that she was indeed mad. But he could take that anger better than the guilt he would feel if she was put into danger.

The afternoon passed by uneventfully at their camp. The troops were busy training, as usual. Denise was practicing her archery too. Peter noticed that there was again a rift between her and his brother. They weren't talking to each other again, and Edmund was sulking inside at the stone table. He wondered vaguely when they would finally patch things up for good. He glanced one last time at Denise who he has been trying to watch the entire day because of what they had talked about. Upon seeing her seemingly absorbed in her training, he went inside camp to talk to Edmund.

Denise was aware that Peter was watching her. Somehow, she expected it. So she bid her time. She spent some time talking to Lucy about random things, and then went to practice archery. She pretended to be really focused on hitting the target all the time she felt Peter looking at her. Then, he left and went inside camp. Denise knew it was her time to sneak away. She told Susan she was tired and pretended to walk towards camp. When she was sure Susan wasn't watching her anymore, she changed course and went straight into the woods. The Telmarine camp was still considerably far, but she already knew how to get there. She made sure to remember the way the last time she sneaked around with Edmund in the enemy's camp. She felt nervous, and her pulse seemed certainly faster than normal.  
But at the same time, she felt capable. She knew she would be able to pull this off. She just needs to keep focused. She had it all planned. She had thought it all out very carefully, making sure she covered every possible event. She went through all of it in her head, and soon enough, she felt her nerves relax. She will be able to pull this off, she said repeatedly.

It had almost been two hours when they noticed that Denise was not at camp. The troops had finished their training and were filing back inside to rest. Susan found her siblings inside and asked about Denise.  
"She was practicing with you, wasn't she?" Peter asked.  
"Yes, but she quit training hours ago. She said she wasn't feeling so good. I thought I saw her enter here. Didn't you see her?" she replied.

If Denise entered, they would've seen her because one had to pass the stone table before reaching their sleeping quarters.

"We didn't." Edmund replied.  
"She isn't outside?" Peter asked.  
"No, it's just Glenstorm and two of his sons outside. I thought she was with you." Susan said, baffled.  
Peter began to feel a sick feeling in his stomach. He cursed.

"What's the matter?" Edmund asked.  
"We have to find her." He answered.  
"Why? Is there a problem?" Without answering, Peter got up and searched the entire camp for Denise. She wasn't in the sleeping quarters. Caspian didn't see her either. In fact, no one has seen her for some time now. His sibling followed Peter outside. She wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Damn!" Peter hissed, his hand clutching a handful of his hair in agitation.  
"What's wrong, Peter?" Lucy asked. He related to them what Denise has suggested to him earlier.  
"She will go to the Telmarines, and pretend to offer her services to Miraz. She plans to expose Sopespian and Glozelle to him, so that he will put a stop to whatever they had planned before it could be put to action. That way, the Telmarine army will fall into momentary disarray because of its leaders. Miraz will probably imprison or kill Sopespian and Glozelle, therefore losing two of his best men and probably, the loyalty of many troops that were under the two. Then he will doubt the other lords and members of their council, and he will have to rely on Denise."

"You allowed her to do this?" Edmund asked, hardly believing what he heard.  
"Of course I didn't! I know how dangerous this is, and I would never put her at such a risk. I told her I wasn't going to allow it, and she stormed off. I thought she wasn't going to pursue it…"

"But this is Denise we are talking about; you should have known you couldn't have stopped her!"  
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I told you I thought she dropped it off. She must be crazy." Peter replied.

Edmund couldn't keep himself in check. Denise was definitely out of her mind! She could die if Miraz finds out about her plans.

"We have to get her back." He said. He wanted to storm into the enemies' camp and get her. Peter shook his head.

"We would only endanger her more. By this time, she is probably at Miraz' camp already. If we interfere now we might only put her at a riskier situation. "

"What do we do then?" Susan asked.  
"I guess we have to leave her to her own devices now and hope for the best."

Edmund was unable to stay still and do nothing. He scoured the woods for any sign of her, almost reaching the Telmarine camp. He remembered what Peter said. He knew he was right. With difficulty, he retraced his steps and went back to camp.


	18. the rest of the story, explained

This is the part that I can no longer write chapters for (again, I'm very sorry).

Instead of leaving you hanging and never giving the story a proper ending, I thought I would discuss the rest of the story as I was supposed to write it in an outline form. I hope you bear with me.

1. Denise arrives at telmarine camp and offers her services to Miraz in exchange for a high position in his council (this is, of course, just a detail in her scheme to make Miraz believe in her). Miraz is reluctant to accept, but later on takes Denise in because she told him of the coup planned against him. She offered to spy on Sopespian and Glozelle so that they can thwart whatever the two were planning. She is introduced to the rest of the council as their new military adviser.

2. Denise then talks to Sopespian and Glozelle in private and offers them her services in thwarting Miraz, again in exchange for a high position once they already rule the land. The two decline. Denise threatens to rat them out to Miraz (even though she already has). Left with no other options, they accept. Denise's plan is set to motion.

3. Many soldiers pledged allegiance to Sopespian and Glozelle because they were told that the Narnian 'legend' Denise was on their side. Those who remained faithful to Miraz heard rumors about the conspiracy and was told that in the battlefield someone from their own ranks would kill them for not joining the coup. All these are still part of her plan.

4. telmarine army falls into disarray fast as Denise plays confidant to both Miraz and Sopespian and Glozelle. Miraz goes bonkers and wants to solve the problem immediately by killing the two- Denise advises him to focus on the Narnians first (this is in order for her to wreak more havoc among the telmarines)

5. Day of duel (peter vs miraz) arrives. (pretty much like the one in the movie)

6. Miraz loses. Denise silently slips back to join the narnians. Sopespian moves forward and tries to kill Miraz. Miraz, who knew of this plan thanks to Denise, avoids the stab and kills Sopespian instead.

7. Soldiers who pledged allegiance to Sopespian rage at the death of their lord. Miraz watches in consternation at the uprising. He looks around for Denise to get her help- and finds her amidst the narnians. She looks back at him and smiles. He then realizes he was played by the military adviser.

8. Glozelle comes from behind and stabs Miraz with one of susan's arrows. He announces Narnia's 'foulplay' to the Telmarines. They attack the narnians. The Narnians push forward as well. Battle ensues.

9. Pretty much like the movie too. Narnians almost lose then Aslan arrives. They win in the end.

10. the Pevensies are gathered around Aslan after the battle while the surviving Telmarines surrender their arms to the Narnians. Edmund asks where Denises is.

11. After a while Glenstorm rushes forward with a bloodied figure in his hands.

12. A stab on the neck during battle has killed Denise Stoker.

13. Pevensies cry and beg for her life, but Aslan says there is nothing that can be done to save her.

14. He further explains that Denise died in a car accident in her world- she was transported to Narnia just before her last breath, because it was the last thing she thought of before she died.

15. Denise didn't know she had died, however, and that was why she still wanted to return home.

16. Her body is placed on a plank of wood and is carried by four centaurs as the Narnians reenter the city, their victory dampened by great loss.

17. Edmund moves away from everyone else, unconsolable but without tears. Aslan speaks to him.

18. Edmund asks: why did you make us remember her when she specifically asked you to make us forget?

19. Aslan answers: I _did _make you forget. She never said anything about not making you remember her again.

20. he further explains: If I let you forget her for good, you would also have forgotten the lessons she taught you forever.

21. Denise is dressed in white and is laid on a bed of flowers. Edmund kisses her lips a last time. Aslan blows and the flower bed flows down the river gently.

22. Edmund watches until he could no longer see her.

23. the Pevensies are sent back to their world. (pretty much like the movie)

24. end.


	19. Epilogue, part 1

**Author's Note PLEASE READ: Hello! Yes I did update the story, this is real. I know it has been terribly long; i apologize.**

**Unfortunately, i cannot tell you that i will be coming back for good this time; quite the contrary, i will not be coming back at all. If you check my profile here u/1927841/aravis-riddle , you will find that I've explained it all.**

**I have uploaded the drafts of the chapters of this story that I have kept in my computer. the original plan was I would get back to them when time allowed it and work on it until i finish the story. unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. I don't have the time to write down the full-fledged chapters nor edit the ones i have worked on already. So here is what i thought i would do.**

**from here on you will find:**

**a. chapters 15 and 16**

**b. an outline of what was supposed to happen in the story ( im terribly sorry about this, i don't have the time to write them as chapters) and**

**c. the two final chapters**

**anyway, i only uploaded all these files because i kind of felt bad about leaving it the way it was, and because i felt bad about leaving you guys without a proper ending. enjoy!**

* * *

My name is Denise Stoker. I'm pretty much an average type of girl. My life, on the other hand, was anything but average. I went through things I never imagined even in my wildest of dreams. I've done things I never knew I was capable of doing. I've faced fears I never thought I could defeat. Life has brought me face to face with a lot of terrifying things, but it has taught me lessons I wouldn't trade for anything. This might sound a little too dramatic, but it's true.

I've learned that more than once in your life, you are going to stumble and lose your way. For a time you may feel you're on the right track, that you are doing the right thing. This can all be so confusing, and it would be hard to sort out. But that's alright. Don't be afraid to make wrong turns and follow wrong paths. For this is the only way to discover the right way. You can't expect to know which way is correct on your first try. Life doesn't come with an instruction manual you can read before trying it, and it doesn't teach you anything the easy way. So make as many mistakes as you need until you find your truth, and never be afraid because there is Someone looking out for you. And that Someone would never give up on you. Trust me.

I've learned that not everything will happen the way you expect it will. Not all your battles will be victorious. Not all your plans will be without a hitch. Shit happens, yes. And when it does, it has this way of making you feel useless and worthless. But don't let it get to you, for it'll only destroy you. Mistakes will remain mistakes only if you let them be, so don't let them.

But if there is anything I've learned that I would want to pass on you, it would be what life has taught me about love.

You see, love is not something you can define and limit and constrain. Because once you do, it will defy you. Love is a defiance of all the laws and rules of the universe. Love is a defiance of what is deemed impossible, of what is deemed too good to be true. Love is not something you can hope to possess, because it can never be owned. It can only be given. Love is something we all have but never really own.

If there is anything greater than life, it is love. Because life eventually has to end… but love never has to.  
But neither can exist without the other. Love without life is nothing; Life without love is not life at all.

Love can survive even in the most impossible conditions. Like gold placed in fire it will melt, but it is still there; it is still the same gold. It is a force as strong as gravity in the way that you're not always aware of it, but you know that it's there simply because your world is still intact… because love holds your world together.

Edmund and I may never see each other again. But he will always have me, just as I will always have him. We are a part of each other, and no matter what distance lies between us, the bond we have shall defy it.

My life may have been short. There were things that I still wanted to do: attend my mom's wedding, another summer with dad, finish college…  
I guess I'm just going to have to live with (or die with, if you want to be accurate) the fact that I couldn't do all those anymore. At least, not in this world. Someday, there'll be a time and a place where we would all be together. A place where love doesn't have to defy everything, a place where it reins without end.I do believe that love has a home, and that's where I'm going now.

And I'm sure it won't be long until all the people I care about would find Love's home too. Soon, we all will be together and it will be forever. There would be no more sorrow, for sadness cannot survive in Love's presence. In that place, my life on Earth and in Narnia could both exist. I don't have to lose anything or anyone.

"Come, my child." Aslan said to me. There were huge, golden gates in front of us.  
"Come further up and further in."

I was home at last.


	20. Epilogue, part 2

_This is the very last chapter. It is an adaptation of the last chapter in the final Narnian book, the Last Battle. _

* * *

_Though the slope was nearly as steep as the roof of a house and the grass was smooth as a bowling green, no one slipped. Only when they had reached the very top did they slow up; that was because they found themselves facing great golden gates. And for a moment none of them was bold enough to try if the gates would open. They all felt just as they had felt about the fruit._

_"Dare we? Is it right? Can it be meant for us?" _

_But while they were standing thus a great horn, wonderfully loud and sweet, blew from somewhere inside that walled garden and the gates swung open._

"Welcome, in the Lion's Name. Come further up and further in."

__ A lady with flowing brown hair wearing a dress much whiter than snow and shining so bright it should've hurt their eyes welcomed them with a voice sweeter than the horn. It was no other than Denise Stoker, one of Narnia's great heroes, only much more beautiful than what any of them who knew her could remember.

Edmund rushed forward before anyone else could and hugged her tight.  
"Denise!"

Lucy and Peter soon followed suit.

"Come," Denise said in the same sweet voice.  
"Come see who else is here. Further up and further in!"

She held Edmund's hand and entered the golden gates.

_So all of them passed in through the golden gates, into the delicious smell that blew towards them out of that garden and into the cool mixture of sunlight and shadow under the trees, walking on springy turf that was all dotted with white flowers. The very first thing which struck everyone was that the place was far larger than it had seemed from outside. But no one had time to think about that for people were coming up to meet the newcomers from every direction._

_Everyone you had ever heard of (if you knew the history of these countries) seemed to be there. There was Glimfeather the Owl and Puddleglum the Marshwiggle, and King Rilian the Disenchanted, and his mother the Star's daughter and his great father Caspian himself. And close beside him were the Lord Drinian and the Lord Berne and Trumpkin the Dwarf and Truffle-hunter the good Badger with Glenstorm the Centaur and a hundred other heroes of the great War of Deliverance. And then from another side came Cor the King of Archenland with King Lune his father and his wife Queen Aravis and the brave prince Corin Thunder-Fist, his brother, and Bree the Horse and Hwin the Mare. And then - which was a wonder beyond all wonders to Tirian - there came from further away in the past, the two good Beavers and Tumnus the Faun. And there was greeting and kissing and hand-shaking and old jokes revived, (you've no idea how good an old joke sounds when you take it out again after a rest of five or six hundred years) and the whole company moved forward to the centre of the orchard where the Phoenix sat in a tree and looked down upon them all, and at the foot of that tree were two thrones and in those two thrones a King and Queen so great and beautiful that everyone bowed down before them. And well they might, for these two were King Frank and Queen Helen from whom all the most ancient Kings of Narnia and Archenland are descended. And Tirian felt as you would feel if you were brought before Adam and Eve in all their glory._

_About half an hour later - or it might have been half a hundred years later, for time there is not like time here - _Edmund stood with Denise looking down over the wall of that garden, and seeing all Narnia spread out below. He held her hand in his and was listening to her laughter. But then he almost forgot to ask her how she got there before they did.

"I have been here since the day you left Narnia to return to your world, after we've restored Caspian to his throne. Aslan has brought me here with him." She said. And she explained what the Lion has told her before, all those centuries ago.

It was a wonder for Edmund, seeing her with him and hearing her laughter, and then seeing all of their other friends too. It seemed all too good to be true.

"What's the matter?" Denise asked him. Edmund zapped out of his reverie.  
"Everything just seems so unreal, Denise. I wonder when Aslan would send me away."  
And again, Denise laughed and kissed him softly.

"This is all real, Edmund. No one is going to be sent is where we all belong. You've come home at last."

_And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before._


End file.
